Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Dreams - Final Mix
by ShadowDragon94
Summary: Dreams are more than mere stories fathomed up, "My friends are my power!" there's substance in them,"Naminé...? What's happening to me?" but, what if a dream and a memory somehow gave birth to a new path? " I wanna line the pieces up.." What if it lead to more than anyone could ever imagine? "Suddenly, I feel like I don't know myself at all." {Story #7 in The World Tree series}
1. Day 1: Dream Like A Memory

_Dear readers,_

 _Thank you for keeping up with the series so far, and welcome to the next installment of the World Tree Series: **Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Dreams**. I know many of you have been reading the series for a while now and are wondering when we'll be getting to the main part of the stories, but I assure you, we're almost there. After this, there are three more stories that make up the pre-timeline and then we will be in the main timeline. At the end of this story, look for the title of the next story._

 _Now, here's some details I need to explain:_

 _1\. Roxas and Namine are real people, with their own lives; they are not a part of Sora or Kairi._

 _2\. Riku never went through the events of Chains of Memories, 358/2 Days, or KH II, and he was returned to the Destiny Islands with Kairi at the end of KH I._

 _3\. Sora was never in stasis like in the game – he was, but I fixed it to where Riku and Kairi were the ones to save him this time – and I think it evened the odds with him not only being a hero but someone who had reliable comrades other than Donald and Goofy._

 _4\. This story is set to be the beginning of Kingdom Hearts II._

 _5\. This is No. 6 in the series – if you are coming from the FF search engine, please go to this title: Kingdom Hearts: Cypher; it isn't the first story because the first one is under construction and Cypher is complete, so for the time being, start there._

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own any part of Kingdom Hearts or its counterparts. I do not hold claim to characters, music, designs, themes, events, or Keyblades. All of those belong to Disney Interactive Studios, Tetsuya Nomura, and Square Enix._

 _ **Claimer:** Any OCs, Keyblades of my creation, worlds that do not appear in Disney (which I doubt there will be any except one entirely), belong to me. If you wish to use them, please just ask._

 _Enjoy!_

Day 1: Dream Like A Memory

 _"Roxas!" I heard someone call my name, and I looked around blearily as the sun blinded me with its bright, warm rays while the voice called out again. I had heard it many times before._

 _"Hmm?"_

 _Looking around me as I sat up, I saw the ocean out in front of me, and blinked in confusion as another shout of my name caught my attention, and I looked behind me where several people were standing. One I recognized quickly as Namine, my childhood friend, and then I noticed two people that I didn't know, a red-haired girl, and a boy with silver hair. The last one was a boy around my age, and he caught my attention the most, only for the sake of him feeling oddly familiar to me. I stood and looked at the others as I started walking forward, and the boy I was focusing on laughed as he waved and told me to hurry up. I knew him, but I couldn't place where from again, but I did make it to him a bit faster than I anticipated. The others started walking away, and I finally fell in pace with the boy, who wore a tired-but-cheery smile as we headed somewhere. I heard the others chatting as he watched them before I accidentally brushed against his shoulder, and as he paused, I looked to him._

 _He had vivid sky-colored eyes that gleamed with joy and peace apparent as he gave me a sunbeam-bright smile that made me feel comfortable, like an old friend I hadn't seen in many years. My mind felt hazed at this – who was he? Why did I feel as if I knew him? The blue-eyed boy laughed a little and stopped walking. I looked to him once more, now in confusion._

 _"Something wrong?" I asked him this and almost felt blind-sided by fact that I was speaking in such a familiar tone, as if I had asked him this many times before._

 _"I can't stay; you know that, right?" a sudden whirl of discomfort filled me._

 _"What do you mean? You can't stay?" I felt as if I was losing a close friend at those words. The boy with sky-blue eyes shook his head with another smile._

 _"No, I can't stick around, sorry. I have another place I have to leave for. But don't worry, Rox, we'll see each other real soon!" the ocean gave way to a portal of glowing blue light, and slowly, everything behind the boy faded into a mist that bled into white._

 _It felt as if everything was being swept from existence, and with it, my friend, someone I felt I should have known and been close to, but couldn't pinpoint in my memory. Namine should know, and I would ask her, but the boy had caught my attention again as he merely shook his head a bit and smiled again as he started to leave. His attire changed to black with yellow details accenting it, alongside black and red pockets on the pants. He looked to me and smiled again just as he reached the portal, and I ran forward, hoping to stop him._

 _"Wait! Don't just walk away like that!" he paused and glanced down, his bangs hiding his eyes as he stood just on the edge of the white abyss._

 _"Don't worry, I'll be back soon." Again, I stopped him._

 _"You can't...I..." the boy looked to me, sky-blue-eyes piercing me as I stared in discomfort of the situation._

 _"Ah, come on now, how is that fair? You don't even remember my name?" he put his hands on his waist and gave me an incredulous look._

 _"I-I just...who are you?" I asked._

 _"Okay, I'll give you a hint...it starts with an S..." With that, he stepped through the white and vanished without a trace. Panic flared within me, and I took in a deep breath as I ran forward._

 _"Wait! Hey! Wait! SO..."_

 _I woke up before I could reach him._

 **{August 12th 2013: Twilight Town, East Side}**

I opened my eyes, and I momentarily panicked as I jolted from my sleep only to realize I was in my room, in my home town, and I was alone as I took in a gasping breath, and tried to get my bearings. The warm glow of the sunset streamed in through my window, and I looked out to see the harbor and eternal twilight of my home town. I sighed and ran a hand through my messy blonde hair and propped my arms up on my windowsill before resting my head on them as I watched boats sail away, and a comfortable, gentle breeze came in through the open window. This was my home town – Twilight Town. However, even the familiarity felt strange now as I considered the dream I had just woken up from.

For some unknown reason, I had been having these dreams off and on since January this year, and thought I had started researching lucid dreams and reasons I saw things like I had in my dream after I started having them every day, I had found nothing that added up to or aided me in getting an answer. From the start of it all, I had dreamed of the same boy, with the same bright smile, piercing sky-blue eyes, and every other detail about him that by this point, I was one hundred percent sure that I could pinpoint him in a crowd of a thousand people with his hair color of chestnut and his sky-blue eyes.

"Damn...I've had a dream about this guy a million times, but if he looks at me, I freak out and I can't remember him...what the hell is going on?"

"Maybe you have a reason for dreaming about him, sleepyhead..." I shrugged at the statement from behind me.

"Yea, maybe I...AHHHH!" I jumped and looked at the platinum blonde, sapphire-blue-eyed girl in a pair of pale blue shorts, blue sandals, and a white tank-top with a matching blue ribbon about the waist of it. This was my best friend since I was five, her name was Namine Olamayne, and she was one of the most important people in my life. I eyed her and realized that she had a blue and white polka-dot backpack hanging on one of her shoulders that was undoubtedly filled with colored pencils and sketch books.

"Good morning, Roxas," she said to me with a smile.

"Namine! Don't scare me like that!" the girl laughed as she sat her backpack down and walked over to me.

"Oh, don't be that way! I hate it when you get so pensive and harsh when you wake up," Namine told me as she sat down on the bed with me.

"I'm not pensive! I just..." her blue eyes looked into my own pale ocean-blue ones, and she sighed. This was Namine for you, always concerned for those she cared for.

"Roxas, was it that dream again?" she asked me as she loved a little closer. I shrugged a bit and looked down.

"Yea, but it was on an island this time, in the middle of the summer at sundown...it was really beautiful there and peaceful, but I did my best to figure out who he was this time, and he gave me a clue, but I didn't remember him..." Namine looked down as she sighed before reaching out to brush my bangs from my eyes.

"Roxas, that's how many times you've had that dream about him?" Namine looked at me as she placed a gentle hand to my cheek, and I felt myself flush a bit.

I always felt calm around Namine. We had been friends since we were five and had grown up together; however, in recent months, I had started to see Namine differently. She was a beautiful girl: fair, gentle, and kind-hearted – not to mention smart, talented, and good with others – but I wasn't sure what to think of her, and yet I still couldn't help but feel good around her. However, despite my internal musings, Namine just smiled as I looked in her eyes and reached out to brush a stray strand of platinum blonde hair from her face.

"I've lost count...I'm sorry...I know I've got to be losing it, because I feel like I know him! And every time I try to figure it out, I just end up more and more confused! He has to be someone I know!" I said in a faintly hysterical tone as Namine frowned and reached forward to pinched my cheek.

"Calm down, you crazy brat!" I stared as she grabbed my other cheek and pulled both while I stared at her.

"I though...ou er a ady..." I felt my eyes burn as I watched her with a faintly teary stare. Namine puffed out her cheeks.

"I may be a lady, Roxas Lyster, but that does not mean I will not speak my mind or put people in their place!" She let go and I rubbed my cheeks.

"That hurt, Nami..." she rolled her eyes.

"You need to get over it, Roxas...but listen...you said he gave you a clue this time, right?" she questioned.

"Yea...he said his name started with an S, and I called out to him when he vanished this time and said So, as if I knew what his name...was...he...different as well? Almost...I don't know...he seemed sorrowful or disappointed that I didn't recognize him...Nami...what do you think is happening to me?" the pale-haired girl sighed.

"Personally? I think you're being given a premonition about someone you need to remember, or someone you will need to know. If this boy is that important, you need to stay focused on finding him," she told me.

"What about you? Don't you have dreams like this?" I blinked while watching her, and she smiled.

"Yes, but I know who I have dreams about...and my dreams are different!" I frowned.

"How?" To that, Namine smiled.

"Well, you see, my dreams are more like memories...far-off memories, but they are memories, nonetheless," she stated.

"Memories?" I wondered if that was what my dreams actually were – memories of someone I forgot trying to resurface.

"Yep, now come on, get yourself up and ready! We need to meet the others!"

Namine left the room for me to get myself ready for the day, and all I could do was sigh in defeat when I thought about my friends and the antics they would get into. Between Hayner, Pence, and Olette, I honestly wasn't sure which one – other than Namine – could keep themselves out of trouble. I sighed in defeat as I shook my head and glanced out the window once more before closing it and exiting the room. Down the staircase, I heard a faint clatter and a few sets of laughter from the kitchen that told me Namine wasn't the only person in the house with me anymore. I walked down the staircase, and into the main floor before walking to my right, and into the kitchen, where my friends were seated, chatting as Namine and Olette were working by the stove, laughing a little themselves. I smiled as a sense of calm overtook me, and my worries about the strange dreams momentarily faded away.

 _"Whether that person is just a figment of my imagination or real...at least my own little part of reality won't change..."_

"Hey, look who decided to join the party!" said the dirty-blonde-haired teen with unruly hair and light brown eyes. This was Hayner Johnson, he was an athletic kind of person with a joking and slightly harsh personality, but he was honestly a good guy.

"I don't see how this is a party." I felt obligated to state that fact as my dark-haired, gray-eyed friend Pence Alverson walked over, and clapped me on the shoulder.

"Yea, well, the girls are fixing something to eat, and then we're going to hang out for a bit, so, it can be a party or just a stroll through town, depending on how you view it," Pence told me as I rolled my eyes and looked to Namine and Olette Williams – another one of my longtime friends with a sweet personality and a warm heart – who were moving pans and objects around to work on whatever it was they were concocting.

"Uhuh...whatever you say, Pence."

I took a seat at the small table with the other boys and decided to keep himself far away from Namine and Olette when they were cooking – last time, I had been bashed over the head with a frying pan because I had tried to invade their space while cooking and I had learned my lesson: _never mess with women while they were cooking_ – and yet, despite that, Pence and Hayner hadn't learned that lesson and went over to them to ask what they were cooking, and were promptly hit over the head by Namine with a pot. I winced as the boys dragged themselves to the table, where they were told to sit and behave. With a tentative yes ma'am, both boys took their seats and I shook my head.

"You should know not to mess with Namine or Olette when they're doing something like this," I said.

"Well...we thought there was no harm in asking a question." Pence glanced to Hayner.

"No, you thought there was no harm in asking a question – _I suggested we stay out of it_ – but since when do you listen to me, _oh wise Hayner?!_ " Pence stated sarcastically as I laughed a little at their antics.

"Speaking of asking questions, I heard you tell Namine you had that freaky stalker dream again." To that statement, I gave Hayner and Pence a deadpan stare.

"It is not a _freaky stalker dream_ – I can't control what I think of when I'm unconscious! And besides...I still don't know who he is," I admitted this with a faintly sullen tone.

"Don't get so down and out about it, buddy! I bet you'll run smack into your dream guy one of these days!" the statement was followed by a random flying ladle that smacked Hayner square in the back of the head. I gaped, momentarily wondering where it had come from, until I saw the sharp glare from Namine that told me I needed to remember: _she had a scarily accurate aim_.

"That was a poor joke, Hayner! This is clearly important to Roxas, and you're going to make a joke like that about it? Some friend you are!" Olette snapped as she turned her attention to the dirty-blonde, who was rubbing the lump on his head. I suppose I could always count on someone from my friends coming to my aid when I needed it.

"I didn't mean it the way it sounded! I meant it about the damn person he's dreaming about is a guy, so I figured it made sense!" I rubbed my temples as a headache began to make itself known.

"It also is derogatory and can be taken the wrong way and cause a huge misunderstanding! Besides, you know Roxas likes Namine!"

Pence said words that almost felt fatal. The room went silent and I froze up. Of course I liked Namine, but I knew what he meant by that. I wasn't foolish, and I could admit that yes, I did find her attractive, and yes, the idea of being in a relationship with her seemed wonderful, but was it really the right time? I guess I would have to wait and see, because right now, I had to do damage control.

"Um... _excuse me?_ " the brunette winced as I shot him a withered glare.

"Oh come on, Roxas! I know you like her!" another object was thrown, and we jumped when Namine nearly hissed like an irate cat.

"Well, _her_ happens to be in the room, and that is a subject that should not be breeched right now! Roxas has enough trouble to deal with right now when it comes to that boy he keeps seeing in his dreams – he gave him a clue about his name this time," she stated as she kept a scolding look on her face.

 _"Namine, you are one scary lady when you want to be...but...I won't say I'm not thankful for the diversion..."_ I thought as I watched the girls put a few things on the plates and tell the other boys to get their things.

I went to get up, and Namine sat a second plate in front of me as she sat down with her own plate in front of her. Sometimes, I was oddly confused by her behavior. Namine could be one of the most angelic, soft-spoken, proper, eloquent, and graceful girls in Twilight Town, and then she could be rough, loud, unsophisticated, trigger-hair-tempered, feisty, and down-right impish if it so pleased her, and that left me feeling as if I was dealing with a person that happened to have a split personality. However, I also knew that Namine was like this because she herself had gone through trials, and so had I – both of us are orphans, for instance, which had endeared us to one another, despite the psychotic moments. The platinum-blonde girl smiled sweetly towards me, and I laughed as the others sat down and began eating as we discussed our plans for the day.

"So, I think we should go to the lake!" I liked the idea, but Olette shook her head.

"We could, but they'll be setting up for the Fire Water Festival, and we'll be in the way," she said. I frowned, suddenly recalling the posters in town three days ago. Sometimes it was hard to remember the dates of the summer festivals – there's five of them during the entire summer, and two of them are in August.

"Oh! That's this week, isn't it?" Namine nodded.

"Yep, we can make plans to go and enjoy the festival, but that isn't until Friday, so...any other ideas?" we fell momentarily silent – and then an idea popped into my mind.

"What about the beach? We could walk to save on the travel fare and spend a few days there in one of the cheaper motels, right?" the statement had them smiling widely.

"That's an epic idea!" exclaimed Hayner as I smiled.

Before any of us had really bothered to keep track of it, we had started planning what to do for our trip next week. We had decided to leave on Monday, and seeing as it was only Wednesday now, that gave us a few days to gather up what we'd need and go from there. I smiled as I listened to them talk – Namine was cheery through the entire discussion and list-making until the others said they had to go inform their parents and take care of a few details before they left after telling us to meet them at our normal hang-out at five. It was roughly ten minutes later that Namine and I had started cleaning up the kitchen, and as we did, the girl fell silent, and straight-faced. While I did have an idea of why she was behaving that way, I felt uneasy about it and decided not to voice my opinion on the matter. I glanced at Namine as she started to wipe down the table, and then paused when I kept staring.

I cleared my throat and went to start washing dishes when I heard the soft steps of the girl behind me. At first, I thought she was moving around to finish cleaning up, and then I ended up with one of the most shocking events in my life: Namine came up behind me and wrapped her arms around my waist before putting her head against my back. I froze as I heard her sigh and almost hide her face in the back of my jacket when I heard something mumbled from her. Namine sighed again and then tightened her hold on me, while I tried to fathom what was wrong with her.

"Namine?" I asked.

"You're hoping you'll run into him, aren't you?" her tone was not accusing, but curious and calm, which made some of my tension ease.

"I-I don't know...maybe...I wish I had that kind of answer, Nami...I saw him and other people on a beach, so I guess I subconsciously thought that maybe..." she nodded.

"You'd be able to run into him and find out who he is," she finished for me, and I sighed.

"I want you to tell me what he looks like, and I'll draw a picture of him so we can get an idea of what he looks like," Namine told me with clear and bright eyes that made me smile as I placed a hand on her head.

"Alright Namine, thanks..."

"Any time, Rox..."

 **{Unknown Area: 5:00pm – Twilight Town}**

Namine and I had been running behind and had to race our way to the usual spot we all met up at near the Tram Common in town. I had been trying to give her all the details I could remember from every dream I had of that boy since January; however, the drawing, and then the process of coloring it in had taken much longer than we had anticipated. I skidded around a corner, hearing Hayner, Pence, and Olette talking about where we were, and soon we slipped right through the door way, and they stopped as I took in a few deep breaths and looked at them with a smile. Namine came in close behind me and blew her bangs out of her eyes before going over to the sofa nearby and sat down as she caught her breath.

"Sorry we're late!" I said as I took in another deep breath and Namine nodded.

"Yea, Roxas was telling me about the dream so I could...draw a picture of the boy..." without question, I could tell the others were highly interested.

"Did you?" asked Pence – I honestly wanted to laugh.

" _Who do you think I am?_ Of course I did it! Colored in and all!" Namine pulled out her sketch pad.

"How accurate is it?" Hayner questioned me as I sat down on a wooden box.

"I'd say spot on, right down to the eye color."

Namine opened her sketch book and flipped to the page of the drawing she had just finished. I could tell by the look in her eyes that she felt the same way I did when looking at the picture – nostalgic, as if she knew him as well. She took in a steady breath and turned it to show the other three. The drawing was of the boy in my dreams seated mid-air, leaned back with his left leg propped up a bit. His attire was black with yellow straps, and red pockets with black X-shapes over them. His shirt was also black with red front pockets, a short-sleeved jacket laid over it with what looked like armor on the shoulders and a hood, the shoes were black-and-yellow sneakers with zippers and black X-crossed straps.

He wore black gloves with another pattern that matched the straps of his sneakers, but in white with suds on the knuckles, and a yellow band at the wrist. In his right hand was a large silver key with a golden top and a mouse head at the end of a chain while the teeth of the key was cut to favor a crown. Their eyes, I could tell, had focused in on the silver near the boy's chest and took note of the crown-shaped pendant there before they focused on him personally. This was something about him that even I could never quite figure out, despite my best attempts.

Because his expression was calm – if not a bit cold – he had a kind and handsome face with lightly tanned skin, messy chestnut-hair that swung into his eyes and fell in odd spikes and had a windswept look to it. I watched the others eyes travel the image again before looking at the color of his eyes and they, as I always did, paused in faint confusion. They were blue, but not just any simple shade of blue. If I tried to describe the color, I would have to compare the tone to a rich spring sky just before noon time, but still darker and a little closer to the shade of a summer sky as well. I saw Olette frown and look to me and then to Namine before forming her mouth into a line as she thought while the other two boys looked at us.

"He looks intimidating...like he's used to fighting a lot," Pence said.

"Yea, I get that feeling every time I see him," I stated as Olette glanced to Namine.

"What color are his eyes?" her question had Namine perking up slightly.

"They're blue, but a mix between the spring-sky-blue and the summer sky-blue shades," she responded as Olette looked at the drawing again.

"They're piercing, huh, Roxas?" I nodded.

"Yea...they're frightening sometimes, too...I had one dream recently, just before school let out, that felt like a flashback of sorts...he seemed mad about something, and his personality changed. He didn't seem like the funny person he normally is in my dreams," I said, and at that statement, the others looked concerned.

"What do you mean by that?" Hayner seemed a bit confused.

"Well...every time I have dreams about him, he's always been very kind and funny. I had this one dream where he was being talked to by someone and he laughed and made this hilarious face by putting his fingers in his mouth and stretching his lips into a grin and crossing his eyes. It was comical enough that I still laugh about it when I think of it...but he's silly and warm-hearted, and has one of those broad smiles that makes you feel better...I guess that's a good way to describe his personality," I explained.

"So, he's warm-hearted and fun-loving...that sounds like a really nice person." Namine's words made my heart feel light as we talked about this person.

"He is...back when I got into that fight at school and got banged up real bad..." I paused and Hayner jumped in.

"I remember that – you looked like hell for a while, man," Hayner said. I rolled my eyes.

"Yea...anyways...I had a dream about us sitting up on the station clock tower, like all of us do, and we were just eating ice cream and talking. He nudged my shoulder and told me to stay strong and cheer up – that it could have been worse...I don't know what he really meant by that, but..." Olette frowned.

"Roxas, _you could have died from the concussion_ – that could have been worse...are you sure he isn't just your Jiminy Cricket?" she asked.

"Jiminy Cricket? You mean my conscience?" she nodded.

"Yea, what if he's just that?" questioned Hayner. I shook my head at that.

"No, I don't think so...he seems like a real person, you know? Like I've met him before, but it was a really long time ago." Namine hummed in thought as I glanced her way.

"Well, maybe you did know each other when you were kids and you just forgot him until recently? There are some cases where people have premonition dreams before they meet someone again from a long time ago," she stated.

"That's possible, I guess..."

I felt a little anxiety at the prospect of this person being nothing more than my conscience. Something about that statement didn't settle well with me, and I felt that I couldn't willingly submit to that idea. Namine's theory honestly made more sense to me if I considered how the dreams were and what it felt like when I spoke to the other boy. Some part of me felt as if I was finally seeing a family member after a long time. I gave up on contemplating it, and around six we went to get some ice cream. The shoppe smelt wonderful, cool, sweet, and refreshing compared to the comfortable heat outside. However, it was as we were placing our orders that I was glancing in the reflective surface near me and took a momentary look at the throwing-star-shaped pendant I wore that had been a gift from Namine. It was as I sighed and turned my attention back to the flavors of ice cream I was looking at through the fairly reflective glass case that I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand on end.

I looked around and found nothing before I looked towards a reflective metal surface I was standing next to and saw the other boy from my dream behind me with a smile upon his face. I looked behind me, but found nothing once more, before I was handed a light blue ice cream on a cone by Namine. She had a cone of strawberry ice cream with white chocolate chips – her favorite – and was smiling to me as she started to walk away, and we started towards the station tower.

As we chatted about our plans for the week and the festival coming up, I felt another odd chill, and this time I was not alone. Everyone froze as a sense of danger crept up our spines, and we looked around. In an instant, we heard a laugh that only I could identify as being familiar as time slowed to a near stop around us. The laugh was light and smooth, held an energetic air to it, and was warm, but held a tint of sarcastic-sounding banter to it. I looked around frantically, searching for the person before I caught sight of a figure that stood at the street corner, seeming to talk to someone who wasn't there. I glanced to Namine and the others, who were staring wide-eyed in disbelief as the person glanced towards us with a faint smile as he kept his piercing blue eyes on us before the image blinked out of existence. Everything seemed to come back to life around us as I felt an unsteady shake develop in my abdomen that told me that my nervousness was perfectly required – seeing as my body wanted to do nothing but bolt at that point.

"D-Did all of you...just see...that?" asked Olette.

"Uh...y-yea...s-say, Roxas? C-Can we go back t-to your place?" I nodded quickly.

"Let's go...now..."

There was no further questioning as we ran, and I felt questions race through my mind. Why? Why did he show up in my home town? In the real world? All I knew now was that something was happening, and it was going to make a difference – a big one.

 _"Whatever that was…..I think it was a warning….."_

 **{…..}**

 _I'm losing sight, don't count on me..._

 **{…...}**

Author's Note: Welcome to the first chapter of Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Dreams – Final Mix. I hope everyone likes the changes from the original edition, and while the chapters may seem shorter, the original chapters are divided into twos so that the story has a bit more length and the chapters aren't as grueling to read. The first several chapters are in character point of view, so the next chapter will continue with Roxas, and then shift to Namine.

Preview:

"We need to talk about this."

It's really pretty, huh? That one star?"

"Why can't I remember your name?"

Chapter 2: Remember


	2. Day 2: Remember

Day 2: Remember

 **{7:30pm – Roxas's Home – Roxas's Point of View}**

We sat in the small living room of the apartment that I lived at. Our ice cream had been eaten as a distraction, rather than the treat it should have been. We now sat in a tense silence in our seats with grim expressions that made me anxious. Some of us were confused, and others were fearful as we all ran the entire situation over and over in our minds. I had sat in a chair and hadn't moved since we'd arrived over an hour ago, and by this point, Namine, I could tell, was becoming concerned with my silence. Not that I could blame her, I wasn't exactly a quiet person. I liked to have conversations and I was energetic and active around other people – but if I grew quiet and still, she got worried, because typically that meant I didn't feel well, and to be honest, I didn't. This was the strangest thing I have ever seen, and it unnerved me because I knew who it was, but I couldn't answer why he was there.

"We need to talk about this," Namine spoke up with a faintly shaky tone, and I kept my eyes down, even though I desperately wanted to acknowledge them. I couldn't stop myself from feeling ill.

"What's there to talk about? _We saw a ghost!_ End of story!" I swallowed thickly as Namine disagreed.

"We've seen real ghosts before – there's no questioning their existence, with that haunted mansion near here – but...that figure had color like a living person, but seemed static and transparent," she stated as I continued to remain quiet until I took in an unsteady breath.

"That was him." I said nothing more as all eyes turned in my direction with mixed expressions of shock, concern, and fear.

"Are you sure?" Hayner asked me this, and I nodded.

"I'm completely sure...I'd know his face and his eyes anywhere...I could pick him out in a crowd of a hundred people or more with brown hair and blue eyes. I would have no trouble with it, trust me." I swallowed thickly again, not liking the fact that I felt like I was going to be sick again. Why did I feel so much dread and concern? It made no sense.

"I would assume you would have been able to...you've been having these dreams since January," Namine stated to me as I felt my body shiver.

"What?! January?" I flinched.

"Yea, since the first of this year..." I said in a half-hearted tone.

"Roxas, it's August! That means you've been having dreams about this guy for eight months now!" Again, I flinched, feeling my stomach cut a discomforting flip as I kept the bile in my throat from coming up.

"I know...I've tried everything to understand what it all means, but...I've never been able to figure it out...I get the feeling that...we saw that because things are about to change..." Pence frowned at my words, and I tensed.

"You think he showed up in reality because we're about to deal with something?" he questioned. I nodded, there was no denying it, really.

"Yes...I'm worried about what it means entirely, but my gut is telling me we're about to get dragged into something without a way out..." Olette gulped while I felt another series of shivers wrack my body.

"That's ominous..." I heard Namine sigh.

"Olette? Boys? Let's go and get something to eat. We need to calm down and we need something else on our stomach besides ice cream," she said. Namine is a godsend when it comes to things like this – I was so thankful right then for her help.

"I agree!" I stood slowly as the others got up, and we chose to leave the house and try to clear our heads.

"What about that pizza joint? It's not too expensive," said Hayner.

"Sounds good to me."

As we began to walk down the street, I felt the cool breeze from the ocean start to sooth my frayed nerves, as it was apparently doing for the others as well. I looked at them all as they laughed and began to smile with some ease. The stress and fear were gone and replaced slowly with comfort and ease, but as we rounded the corner where the pizza place was in the town square, I felt my body shiver again, and I had to force myself to ignore it as I walked into the pizzeria with my friends. We talked and enjoyed our time as we started to relax more and more as the evening wore on to the point that I believed everyone had forgotten about our earlier scare – but I couldn't.

How could I? It just wasn't something you forgot that easily. I just wanted to forget about the dreams, about the sense that the life I had lead up until that point was going to end, and I wanted to forget the strange boy I should have known the name of. And yet, something inside me refused to, and so I continued on and decided to live with it until I finally had my answers.

By eight-thirty, we were making our way back to my house for a sleep over – I knew it was because everyone was still spooked and didn't want to be alone, but it was fine with me, I liked having people in my home. The walk home was full of playful chatter and easy-going conversation while we walked down the sidewalk near the ocean port while a cool breeze came off the waters and the gentle comfort of the eternal sunset slid over us with a breeze.

Our smiles were maintained almost the entire way home until I felt another chill as if something was trying to reach out to me. Unknowingly, I had stopped and looked up at the only star that was still in the sky. The others had paused I knew because the area ahead of me had grown silent again, and then they were surrounding me while I continued to watch the bright and defiant star that hung in the orange-red sky.

As I stood there, I felt a sense of missing something, and I took in a deep breath as the others joined me in looking up at the sky and soon, they to noticed the single star in the sky with smiles upon their faces. We continued to watch the little light blink brightly amongst the warm colors of the sky while the breeze came in, and I glanced to Namine, who stood closest to me, while Olette was settled between Hayner and Pence while ease overtook us and the last bit of the earlier scare washed out of our systems. I took in the sunset, the single star, and the comfort of familiar surroundings in a silent peace until I had a sudden shock go through me as something had forced itself into my mind as I took in a deep breath, and then the others looked to me. I tried to ignore it for the time being.

"It's really pretty, huh? That one star?" asked Namine.

"Yea, it is, and it sure is a strong little one if it's out and in the open during the sunset hours." I noticed Olette smiling as she nudged Hayner, who did it right back. I only smiled, I wasn't the only one in our little group that had a crush on their best friend.

"We hardly ever see stars!" Pence said in excitement.

"We should make a wish!" We all agreed and began to make silent wishes while I remained silent.

I only wanted one thing right then, and that was an answer to my mysterious nightly – and now possibly daily – visitor. Who was he? Why couldn't I remember him or where I knew him from? I knew him so well; I knew his voice, his expressions, some of his personality; I knew his smile, the color of his eyes, the messy chestnut hair, and the little quirks I had been able to pick up on. How could I know someone like that? And yet, at the same time, have never met them before? I closed my eyes and suddenly a rush of images came through my head, and with it, words.

 _"Giving up already?"_

 _"As long as someone is out there defending the light, one sacrifice is fine."_

 _"To find is to lose, and to lose is to find."_

 _"Stop! Don't hurt her!"_

 _"You kept your promise!"_

 _"Don't! You need to wake up! "_

 _"What will you do? You cannot defeat me, Child of Light!"_

 _"Show him what the Light can do..."_

 _"I'll be fine...don't worry about me, okay?"_

 _"Thank you, too...Hikari..."_

 _"You're not alone, and I'm there with you all the way..."_

 _"Roxas? Why don't you remember me?"_

My eyes opened and I felt a shiver lace up my spine as I realized that those weren't my memories but someone else's. The images of someone's life had flashed through my mind, but the images nearly vanished, but the words and voices of people and the boy I knew were still there freshly carved into my memory for reasons I couldn't figure out.

 _"Sora!"_

 _ **"Can you feel Sora?"**_

I shook my head – what was that? I glanced to the others who were still watching the water and the last few boats sail across the water while my mind decided it needed to have a complete meltdown as I heard someone talk that I never had before. They sounded like the boy, but at the same time, they weren't.

"Can...you feel...Sora?" I muttered this, and it drew the other's attention – not what I needed right now.

"What? Roxas? What are you talking about?" I looked to Namine and the others and frowned a bit.

"Can you feel Sora? I just had that pop into my head all of a sudden..." Namine looked as if she should have known the word or possibly the name from somewhere, but she couldn't place it.

"Sora? I've heard that somewhere before..." I thought.

"It means sky." Namine's voice called me out of my thoughts as she looked to me.

"What?" I asked.

"It's Japanese, it means sky. Some of the Islands in the South have those names and speak the language...I had a sister that moved away with my dad to an Island a few years ago...before my mom died." I remembered hearing about it, but until now I had stored it away within my mind.

"That's right, wasn't the area called the Destiny Islands or something?" Namine nodded, and I nearly cringed – she didn't like talking about her sister. They hadn't seen each other since they were three, and that had been many years ago now, seeing as Namine was almost sixteen.

"Yea, I haven't seen her in a long time, though. We got split up when we were little and haven't made it back to Radiant Garden...that's where we lived with our grandmother when we were kids..." Olette gave her a smile.

"Okay, then one day soon, let's all go and see your sister, and then we can go to Radiant Garden together!" she suggested.

"I'd like that." I smiled as they laughed.

"We have so many plans...but would any of them actually work? All things considered...I think those dreams are going to be put on hold."

 **{11:50pm: Roxas's Home}**

 _I stood in the center of a field in questioning as I looked around me, as dirt and chunks of earth was turned up at random in different spots. My eyes honed in on two other figures that I couldn't make out as they fought what looked like shadows of some kind with glowing yellow eyes. Dread sunk into my system as I realized, almost too late, that I was in the middle of a battle. I ducked as a sword of some kind flew just a few inches over my head, and weight settled into my left hand. I looked down to see a bronze-toned Key with a sharp crown cut to the teeth, a black handle with a mouse head cutout at the end of a chain, and a base with indented grooves that favored a single, large spiral that curved from the teeth up to the joint-brace that was black. I blinked in shock as someone came skidding past me, and I looked to see the boy once again there, but holding a Key similar to my own, except the base and teeth were silver, and the guard was gold. He wiped a little blood from the corner of his mouth where his lip was busted and locked eyes on the large shadow near us._

 _"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!" I screamed in surprise as the other boy, from his crouched position, jumped forward and sliced through it with the Key as if it was a blade. I stared onward in fear and confusion as the boy stood still with the Key outwards as if he had just finished off the creature in a single blow._

 _"Nice of you to join the party, Roxas," he said with a bright smile. Amidst the battle going on around him, he looked strangely at peace. I blinked as I got my bearings and looked him in the eye._

 _"Okay, buddy, who the f-fuck are you?" the chestnut-haired teenager in front of me laughed – I didn't find this the least bit funny._

 _"Coarse language isn't your forte, huh, Rox?" I felt my cheeks heat up and a glare develop because he was right – it wasn't typical of me to swear, but I had reached the end of the tether with this situation._

 _"This isn't the time for jokes, you lazy bum! Who are you?!" the boy frowned as he paused._

 _"Only Kai really gets away with calling me that, Rox. I'll let you get away with it this time, but listen, you need to consider what is going to happen soon. I know you're tired because it's been a long road already, but please...hold on and try to brace yourself and the others, as best you can," he stated._

 _This was unlike the boy I had met every other time for eight months. The other version of this boy had the look of someone who was used to fighting, but was still pure-hearted and sweet-natured. His eyes were warm and kind, his smile bright and loving like a family member, and his voice soothing. But this was different from the person I was used to: his form looked war-torn, his smile tired, tone harsher than normal, and his eyes fierce and full of fire. It was so unlike the person I'd gotten used to speaking with in my dreams._

 _"Are you real?" I asked as he frowned again, crossed his arms, and raised an eyebrow like he was a confused puppy._

 _"What? Of course I'm real, you crazy brat!" he promptly walked over and bashed me over the head with a closed fist. For someone who was fairly small in stature and build, he hit like a ton of bricks – causing my head to ache for several seconds._

 _"Ouch! Stop it! We're in a battle, aren't we?" the boy smiled brightly, but in a strangely sinister fashion that sent a chill up my spine._

 _"Yes, now pick up your Keyblade and help me get rid of these things, okay?"_

 _I looked at the large Key – Keyblade? – that laid on the ground and slowly I took it into my hands. He nodded and tilted his head for me to follow him onto the battlefield. Seconds, it felt like, into the fight, the two of us were working together, as if we'd done it hundreds of times before. Our movements were in synch; steps, hits, and misses were almost perfectly aligned, and once the last of the monsters fell, I stared at the Keyblade with a new light as I realized it hadn't felt too heavy or strange in my grasp. My eyes focused on the boy in front of me with sky-blue eyes and his arms behind his head, one foot propped up a bit as he watched me with a smile upon his face. Whoever this was apparently knew me well enough to trust me as a partner in battle, and that meant that, somewhere in the back of my mind, I, too, knew this person and trusted him on the same level._

 _"Who are you?" I asked. He sighed in defeat._

 _"That again? Tell me, how is it fair I know one of my friend's names? But you forgot mine?" rich, sky-colored-eyes looked at me again, and I gulped down the guilty knot in my throat._

 _"I just can't seem to grasp it, even with the hint," I said. The other sighed and walked over with the Keyblade settled over his shoulders, and his arms laid over the base of it._

 _"Look, you said it earlier..." I gave him a confused look._

 _"Said what earlier?"_

 _I had said a lot of things earlier, but what point was he talking about? I thought hard on it and found myself completely at a loss for words. Somehow I would remember it, or at the very least I would have my memories of him back, and I could find him and talk to him. I looked to the boy, who gave me a lazy smile as I thought over the words I had heard earlier that day and felt my eyes grow wide as his own ethereal blue ones looked to me._

 _"My name, you crazy brat..."_

 _"Your name..." he nodded, and smirked again._

 _"You know it, you said it earlier, Roxas Lyster..." I looked him over, realizing that he knew my full name, and that things were about to become difficult. However, as I watched him, memory flooded me, and I recalled saying his name._

 _"You've never told me where you are."_

 _"That's because even I don't remember..."_

 _"Why don't you remember?"_

 _"Something happened to me...I lost all my memories..."_

 _"Can't someone help you?"_

 _"I think someone is...but I don't know who...I..."_

 _"Sora? Sora?!"_

 _"You're..."_

 **{3:30am...}**

Unlike yesterday, I opened my eyes steadily and felt discomfort settle into my chest, as I had a heavy sense of guilt override me. I sat up and felt a tear roll down my cheek, which I brushed away in confusion before running a hand through my hair in defeat. What was I supposed to think of all this mess? How was I supposed to know these answers? I took in a deep breath and looked out the window. His name, his eyes, voice, the personality, everything about that person I tried so hard to remember, and all the things I couldn't even fathom. I had believed for quite some time that if I just waited, I would get answers, but eight months later, I was beginning to lose hope. Sighing, I rested against the windowsill, letting the early morning breeze flow in through the window. It was another sleepless night, all because of a dream that related to that boy with chestnut-hair and eyes the color of the sky.

"Why can't I remember your name?"

 _And yet, you feel as if you would know it if he told you..._

I looked around and sighed as I watched the waves roll back and forth, all the while wondering why I kept hearing so many things and all the people that would come with a single memory. I sighed and looked over to the journal that I had purchased a while back. It was for me to record my dreams in, and I did it the moment I woke up. Therefore, I grabbed a pen and the journal before I opened it and began writing. As I wrote down the details of my dream, I thought about the actions within it, and sighed while considering the fact that I was dealing with something I may never know the answer to. Sighing, I looked at how many pages had been filled up and realized I needed to buy another journal before I shrugged and went back to writing.

 **{Mysterious Tower: 4:50am** }

King Mickey yawned a bit as he stood before Master Yen Sid, who seemed quite displeased with something as Oswald stood next to him. The two former students of the aged wizard and former Keyblade Master had been summoned at four-thirty in the morning to his tower, and were now awaiting further details on the matter. King Mickey took in a deep breath as he awaiting the wizard's statement – all the while thinking of three Keyblade Wielders that were still fast asleep back at the Disney Castle. Something made him feel as if Sora, Riku, and Kairi were about to be sent on quite an interesting adventure, and at the same time, the King hoped that Master Yen Sid hadn't summoned him here to inform him of Xehanort's movement. Taking in a deep breath, the wizard looked to them.

"King Mickey, Master Oswald," he addressed them.

"Master Yen Sid, please inform us of why you summoned us here so early." King Mickey glanced to Oswald and then to the wizard.

"Xehanort hasn't made a move, has he?" King Mickey questioned as Oswald gave him a nervous glance.

"Not yet, which, as I have stated, does concern me still; however, there is more to be concerned about now."

"How can anything be worse than him?" Oswald questioned. King Mickey looked to his former Master with a similar question.

"There has been activity in Twilight Town, and I believe it may involve the power of the Keyblade surfacing there."

The information floored both King Mickey and Master Oswald to the point that they had gone slightly pale. Master Yen Sid looked to them with a stern, yet calm expression – he knew that informing them of this meant that they would have no choice but to send in someone to investigate, and then send in someone else to act as a retriever if not a receiver of the Keyblade. King Mickey seemed to be contemplating this, while Oswald knew what it meant just as well as his friend did. There was only so much that could be done before something horrible happened, and if what Master Yen Sid said was true, then they had to work fast.

"Is it...possible...that..."

"I believe new Keyblade Bearers are being chosen, and that is because the Light and the Darkness are preparing to wage war once more. Xehanort Erebus will stop at nothing to achieve his goal, and the Kai-Blade is only a mere fraction of what he will need in order to overpower those who wield the Keyblade for the Light," Master Yen Sid stated calmly.

"Then, he's seeking the Kai-Blade? But sir, that weapon is gone! It vanished when..." the wizard nodded.

"I know, during the Keyblade War; however, I fear the worst. If he was to get a hold of any new Keyblade Bearers and taint them, possibly even find a means to use them against us, we very well may lose this war," he stated.

"Then what do you want to do?" Master Yen Sid took in a deep breath.

"I am awaiting confirmation from one of our couriers, but once we have our evidence, I will be requesting assistance from our Masters to handle this situation," he informed them.

"Yes, Master Yen Sid, but...do you think Xehanort will try something?" the wizard hummed.

"I do not believe Xehanort will attempt anything just yet. It has only been a few months since the events of the Dream Drop – in April, our united forces were able to lay waste to the Organization, and Sora and Riku's usage of Eternal Sessions allowed them to do severe enough damage on the Organization's leader, Xemnas, to buy us some time," he stated.

"I think having aids would be best, just to be safe, though." The wizard nodded.

"I agree; however, a word to the wise, I would not doubt that Sora, Riku, and Kairi will be dealing with great changes soon."

"That I do not doubt, Master Yen Sid," King Mickey said.

"Then make preparations, and instruct Masters Sora and Riku, as well as Princess Kairi, to be prepared to leave on a moment's notice."

"Immediately, sir..." With that, King Mickey left, and Oswald looked to Master Yen Sid.

"Will this be wise?" the wizard looked to his former student.

"We do not have any more grace periods nor time – the truth is upon the horizon, and the Keyblade's magic is preparing new bearers of its might for a war that will make a terribly blood-soaked mark upon history."

"Yes, I agree..."

"Then we shall spend the time we may have left to prepare..."

 **{…...}**

 _I chase the sun, it chases me..._

 **{…...}**

Author's Note: Here's Chapter 2 of Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Dreams – Final Mix. There have been new additions to the chapters, as stated, and in the next two chapters, we'll be focusing on Namine's point of view. I hope everyone's enjoying the story's Final Mix edition!

Preview:

"Sleep well, Roxas..."

"Nami...what do you think this means, exactly?"

"I'm going to see if I can help!"

Chapter 3: Memory Chains


	3. Day 3: Memory Chains

Day 3: Memory Chains

 _I stood in a snow-white room looking at a crystal orb on a white iron holder of great detail and narrowed my eyes. I knew this dream, I had been through it before; however, I had never gotten this sensation of pure dread coming through my system. I looked at myself in the mirror not far from my position in the room. I was dressed in a white, flowing dress, barefoot except for these strange lace-work pieces that covered only the tops of my feet in white as well. A small sensation met my skin at my throat, and I touched upwards to feel a choker of some kind on, more than likely just as white as the clothing I wore, and a small charm at the end of it. I couldn't quite make out what it was at the time, for some reason. I knew, each time I looked around, that this wasn't my body, and it wasn't a place I would have normally found myself in. I looked around to a simple, white room, it bore only a small white sofa and nothing else._

 _I stood in the room and heard the doors nearby open with a snap of the silver hinges. I turned, and there stood a man in black and red with bandages of a blood color wrapped about his face. I tried to prepare myself for him to attack me, for he seemed as if he would harm me without a second thought, and then, I heard him speak as if to address me._

 _"Are you prepared? There is no time to waste," he said. Without my knowing, I heard my steps come closer._

 _"Yes, I am..."_

 _My mouth moved of my own accord, and when I moved closer, I took note of someone in a black cloak standing behind the man in red. It took all of a few seconds for the man to take something from him and turn around. In his arms, cradled carefully, was a small boy of around fourteen with chestnut-colored hair, in black clothing, he was barefoot, arms covered in long sleeves that covered all the way to his knuckles, black pants, and gloves that were black as well upon his hands. His hair was messy, his skin pale, breathing shallow, and cuts, singes on his clothes, wounds covering him in odd areas as the man walked towards me. I looked to the boy, knowing he was sickly; however, I kept myself calm, all the while my heart was racing, my breath catching within my throat, and my eyes wanting to well with tears as I watched the man bring the boy closer and settle him carefully upon the sofa. When I looked to him, tears welled into my eyes and slid down my cheeks as I brushed my bangs from my face, while my hair slid across my forearms. My own hair was not long and only reached past my shoulder, yet this girl's hair clearly reached past her waist. I tried to keep myself calm, while the girl whose eyes I was seeing these events through clearly felt sorrow for some unknown reason._

 _"Are you well?" the man asked me._

 _"I failed...I didn't protect him..." I received a gentle look._

 _"You did not fail, he would not have wished you further harm. What you have done for him was enough, and he has repaid you, but now you must take care of him – help him heal and give him back what he has lost." I wiped my eyes, biting my lip as I nodded and moved towards the boy._

 _I knew him, he was the boy from Roxas's dreams; however, he was younger, much younger than his age in his dreams. I knelt down and took in a deep breath as I reached forward and touched his cheek, which was slightly cold. I took in a deep breath and leaned down, gently looking to him as he blearily opened sky-blue eyes that should have been beautiful, piercing, full of life, and reflective of the person he was, but were the lackluster, glassy, unseeing eyes of a doll without a soul. I smiled gently, caressing his cheek as I tried to assure him in silence. I took a deep breath and placed a gentle kiss to his forehead._

 _"I care little for what it will do to me, please, protect him...the light he bears, the things I understand and do not...just keep him safe, and let him return to those who love him..."_

 _The kiss left to him seemed to bring some life back to him. His skin seemed to no longer appear porcelain but had regained its healthy tan, a faint rosy hue to his cheeks, and his breathing began to even out, and slowly he opened his eyes, ever so slightly, which had regained a gleam of life as he watched me in a manner that seemed highly unsure and detached. I realized it then, this was the stare of a person who remembered nothing, that was blank of their life and those whom they'd met. I smiled to him, tears well up in my eyes once more._

 _"Sleep now; when you wake up again, those you love will come for you, and I will find you again someday, okay? I promise, Sora..." I looked to him as he closed his eyes once again and fell into a deep sleep as I stood, tears sliding down my face once more as I stood there, watching the boy this girl knew, with sorrow weighing heavily upon my heart._

 _"Come, let me place him somewhere that I can keep watch upon him, and if you wish, you may stay," the man said._

 _"Please, for as long as I can...let me be with him...I just want to make sure he's safe...please..." the man placed a hand upon my shoulder._

 _"There is no need for tears, but you must go when the time comes for him to be awakened..." she cried, and inside, I felt the same pain she did._

 _"Thank you..."_

 _That was the moment that my dream, the same one I had once a month, would appear and abruptly end._

 **{August 13th 2013: Twilight Town}**

I frowned as I looked at my drawing. After having the same dream-like memory for months on end, I had decided to draw it out scene by scene and store it away in a journal with a recanting of each scene. It was a dream journal – an idea I had gotten from Roxas – and I kept it away from prying eyes. At least, until now. I sighed as I looked out my window at the eternal sunset of my home town and smiled. It was surprisingly enough, quite early in the morning, and I knew that it was almost time to get Roxas up. I sighed as I stood and stretched before grabbing a change of clothes from my dresser.

A pair of dark-wash denim shorts, and a white t-shirt; rather simple, but comfortable for the plans that I had for the day. I got myself dressed and brushed my hair before I grabbed my dream journal, placed it into my backpack, and slipped on a pair of low-cut pale blue sneakers before I grabbed my keys, wallet, and phone and went out the door.

As I walked towards Roxas's house, I thought about the dreams Roxas had been dealing with since January of this year. The most recent events weighed heavily upon my mind as I considered what to do that could help him. Unfortunately, I had no way of figuring out who that boy was until someone showed up that either looked like him, or Roxas remembered his name. Until that time, I would do what I could and be a good friend.

My internal musings had kept me preoccupied until I was at his doorstep – which was just down the street from my own apartment – and as I looked around, I noticed that his window was open. Sighing, I knocked before hearing sluggish-sounding footsteps come down the staircase before the door opened. Roxas looked oddly tired as he stood there. with his messy blonde hair in even more disarray and his eyes weary.

I could tell from the dark circles formed under his eyes and his pale complexion that he hadn't gotten much sleep; however, he let me inside and shut the door before he started towards the staircase. I frowned and wondered when or if he'd gone to bed or slept at any point. Taking in another deep breath, I grabbed his arm and led him up the staircase and to his room, where I sat him down on the bed.

"What happened?" I asked as he hummed in exhaustion.

"I was sleeping, until I had another damn dream about that guy! He was fighting monsters and I ended up helping him, but he was different from last time...a lot harsher, and more tired and war-torn, I guess you could say..." I frowned my eyebrows at his statement.

"Roxas?" I asked as he looked up at me with his clear ocean-blue eyes. To me, Roxas always had the prettiest eyes I had ever seen, but right then, they were haggard and worn-down, something I couldn't bear to see, and I chose not to ask my question.

"Hmm?" I shook my head.

"Never mind, sleep...I'll come back later and..." I turned to head out the door of his room, and he grabbed my wrist, causing me to still.

"Stay?" he asked me, and I looked to him in surprise.

"Oh? Why?" he shrugged.

"I just want you to stay, okay?" his hand slipped further down into my hand, gently curling around it, intertwining our fingers as I smiled, disconnected our fingers, and walked over to the bed before taking off my shoes, lying my keys, wallet, and phone on the bedside table as I laid down next to him and intertwined our fingers once more as he smiled tiredly to me and wrapped an arm around my waist while resting his head against my own.

"Sleep well, Roxas..." I said as I threaded my fingers through his hair, and slowly heard his breathing become light and even.

Roxas was always a strange person, if I thought about it. Even when we were little kids, he was an odd one and didn't really have friends – of course, that had changed somewhat – but I had always been his favorite when it came to friendships. I smiled as I took in his sleeping face and sighed contently. Roxas had been cute as a little kid, I recalled as I thought of the pictures we'd saved from our childhood in a scrapbook, but he wasn't entirely cute anymore, if I thought about it.

True, he was still adorable and had childish moments, but there was a difference. Now, his childish moments and funny antics were what made up the kind and loving nature of the boy I had grown to love. I smiled a bit as I realized that Roxas's hair had gotten a little darker since we were younger; however, his eyes had always been the same deep-set ocean blue, and the smile I adored was still extremely inviting and bright. I brushed my fingers across his cheek and smiled again as I realized how much time had passed.

We had both grown so much since we'd first met when we were little kids, and now I had taken to noticing things about him, as I knew he had me. Roxas was a handsome boy with a kind heart and had a great deal of love for people. I couldn't help but love his wit, charm, and humor, which were some of his best qualities. I smiled again as I placed my head a little atop his own and closed my eyes before drifting off to sleep.

 **{11:00am – Roxas's House}**

The sound of a seagull rang through the air as a gentle breeze slowly came in through the window, and brushed across my skin as I hummed. Slowly, I opened my eyes and saw the bright, beautiful sunset peeking in through the window. As I laid there momentarily, letting the sun cast a gentle fire-light glow upon us, I felt Roxas stir and reposition his arms around me tighter. It woke me up completely and caused me to blink a few times before I turned my full attention to the boy lying next to me as I couldn't help but smile warmly at him before I nudged Roxas a bit, and slowly, he blinked open a single sea-blue eye to look at me in a half-awake state.

"Namine? What time is it?" I giggled a bit.

"Almost lunch time," I said.

"Oh...how long were we asleep?" I glanced at the clock as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.

"About four-and-a-half hours. We should get up and meet the others at the station," I told him as I got up and stretched. Roxas sat up and looked out the window.

"Okay, so...are you hungry?" he asked me this, and I turned my attention to him.

"I suppose so...why? Bed-head? Are you offering to cook?" I teased as he combed his fingers through his messy hair in an attempt to tame it, and he flushed dark pink.

"Um...yes...I am..." I smiled brightly.

"Then, yes, I accept, and I am hungry," I stated as I got up and put my sandals back on while he got up and smiled.

"Okay, let me get dressed, and I'll fix us something." she nodded.

"Alright, I'll be downstairs," I said as I left and heard Roxas sigh.

"That girl..."

I giggled as I hit the bottom stair and walked into the kitchen, where I got out my sketchbook and pencils to begin drawing and filling in the art I had done earlier. It was an image I had drawn pieces of for weeks, and finally, it was time to color it in and complete it. By the time I was working on the color of the boy's clothing and hair, Roxas had come down and had started pulling out pots and pans to begin cooking while I continued to color in the drawing. Roxas, I noted as I glanced up occasionally, had started cutting up fresh strawberries and putting them on our plates as I finished with the boy, and set to the girl and the masked man while he placed a plate in front of me. I thanked him as he took a seat, and I sat down my sketchbook.

I started to eat while I colored in the last few drawings until I was finished and began to focus on the meal in front of me. It took on a few moments for Roxas to glance my way and then to the drawing pad on the table – rather normal behavior, for him – before dropping his fork in what could only be described as shock. I looked up at him and he gaped at the drawing as I reached for it and set it down in front of him. Roxas's eyes were wide, his mouth slightly open, and his face pale as I watched him, but I knew without question why he was stunned: it was because of the person I had drawn and what it clearly meant to him.

"I-I...how did you...when?" I cleared my throat and forked a strawberry.

"About four months ago, I had this dream and only recently was able to copy it down...but...it felt like a memory, and a dream..." he looked down.

"That's how the dreams are with me, most of the time – they feel like memories of a time I forgot..." I sighed slightly.

"It was strange when I had this dream...I was seeing it through someone else's eyes. The girl knew him, and the man there did, too...they were...trying to save him...because he was very ill...and he wouldn't open his eyes..." I clarified this, and Roxas took in a deep breath.

"I've never had a dream like that...just ones where I feel like I'm reliving memories I forgot about..." I sighed.

"I wish I could say the same...the dreams like that one make my skin crawl..." I told him as he gave him a worried look.

"Nami? What do you think this means, exactly?" I shook my head at his question and tried to consider what it could truly mean. How was I supposed to know, though? I'd never dealt with this before, and I'd never told anyone, either.

"I wish I knew, Roxas..." I looked to him.

"So do I...we're in the same boat now, and we don't have any answers as to who that guy is...we don't even know if he's real..." I took in a deep breath and struggled to think of what we could do to get our minds off this mess.

"Roxas, let's go meet the others at the station," I said with a small smile as I offered my hand to him. He returned the smile and took my hand.

"Yea, okay..."

With that, we grabbed our things and left the house – unaware that at the time...everything was about to change for us.

 **{1:00pm – Twilight Town Central Station}**

Roxas and I had walked in a rather calm pace towards the station and had a small conversation as we did. However, it was as we neared the station that I realized we were still holding hands, and to some degree of unfortunance, Roxas did as well. He dropped my hand and flinched slightly away from me with a rather cute flush to his cheeks while my own did the same, and I tried to tell him it was okay, but he only stammered and ducked his head to turn his eyes towards the usual spot we met up with the others at. We arrived there a bit earlier than we had anticipated and found our spot empty, with little to no sound happening around us. It was confusing to me, and I could tell Roxas was slightly unsure as well; however, the silence didn't just encompass our normal spot – it surrounded the entire town.

"Namine? What's going on?" Roxas looked to me, his ocean-blue eyes brimming with faint worry.

"I don't know, but I'm honestly kind of creeped out by this..." he nodded, fish clenching at his side as he if were holding something.

"Same here...maybe we should..." suddenly, a loud crash went off, followed by a series of screams. I instantly turned towards the sound and looked at Roxas, who came over to me, and we exited the gate and looked over to where the sound came from.

"That's coming from the market district!" I stated this in fear as I realized how many people would be gathered in the wide area.

"We should go. Namine? Can you call Olette? We need to find them now!" Roxas's voice changed and became much more demanding; however, I only nodded and grabbed my cellphone out of my pocket to dial Olette's number, when I heard a series of footsteps coming around the corner. Our attention turned to the area, and we spotted none other than Pence, Hayner, and Olette coming towards us, sweating, out of breath, and pale, with singes and smudges of dirt, soot, and a series of scrapes across their arms and one or two on their faces.

"Guys? What happened?" I asked this as Olette looked at me – fear written across her face and anxiety in her eyes.

"There was an explosion down in the market district – something caught fire..." momentarily, I paused and felt a sense of panic overcome me as I saw the look of dread on the faces of Pence and Hayner.

"What else?" Roxas asked this question, and I turned to him.

"There are these...shadowy things in the market district, too..." Pence began.

"Shadowy things?" I had to ask because it seemed like such an odd description.

"They're attacking people...one of them set something on fire and caused the explosion..." I felt my heart sink – what was happening?

"Seriously?" Hayner glared.

"We're not making this up!" he snapped at Roxas, who took in a shaky breath.

"Wait, we're not saying you did, but..." Roxas clenched his hand again, and I knew he was thinking about something.

"Pence got a good look at one..." said Hayner as he looked to Pence while I watched with anticipation.

"You did? What did they look like?" Roxas took charge of the questions, surprising most of us as he kept a calm but slightly worried look in his eyes.

"One looked like a small hunched over ant thing with curly antennae, and the others looked like bigger versions of the little ones and more muscular...but..." taking in a deep breath, Roxas swallowed a lump in his throat while I continued to remain silent, and faint panic rose within my chest.

"Something's wrong..."

"What?!" I watched Roxas stare down at the words.

"Some of them were the size of humans..." he finished saying this, and the only sensation I got was dread as Roxas narrowed his eyes and I swallowed thickly as I tried to rationalize what to do.

"Then we should..."I started to speak, hoping to gather all of us up and take us to somewhere safe; however, Roxas seemed to have other ideas, because despite my efforts, he took off in a full-blown run towards the market district.

"Roxas! Where are you going?!" I stared onward as Olette shouted at him, and I watched as he glanced over his shoulder.

"I'm going to see if I can help!" With that, Roxas looked forward and ran faster towards the area of the assault taking place.

I don't know why we didn't stop him, scream at him, and drag him away from the commotion – but we didn't. Instead, we followed him, running as fast as our legs would carry us towards the Market District with Roxas a bit ahead of us. To our vision, he was nothing more than a blot in the distance with the speed he ran. My legs burned as we raced through the streets and down a sloping hill and stairs before making it to the Market District, where I heard screams, crashes, and the sight and smell of smoke and fire was present. We kept running, heading into the mass of terrified people who Olette, Hayner, and Pence tried to direct out of the district and towards a safe point, while Roxas had become lost in the fray of it all.

 _"What's happening?! Where is everyone? Roxas..."_

Discomfort radiated from my body as I stood in the midst of the chaos and looked frantically for Roxas. I searched everywhere, my eyes scanning terrified, soot-covered faces and screaming children as they ran past me, and my gaze located a patch of blonde hair, and I ran towards that person, hoping frantically that it was Roxas. As I approached, I saw familiar ocean-blue eyes look to me as Roxas started shouting for the people to follow his directions out of the district, and I jumped in to help, unaware that in a few moments, things were going to change the way our summer, and our lives, had been heading – forever.

I felt a searing pain spread through my leg, and I turned to see a small, shadowy creature crawling up towards me with its claws raised. I shouted, and Roxas was quick to knock it back with a piece of wood, while Hayner, Pence, and Olette jumped into help, as all of a sudden several of these creatures appeared. I panicked and grabbed my backpack to swing at them as we started to back up – hoping we could avoid being killed by these creatures. My heart was racing unevenly as I locked eyes with the creatures that were slowly coming closer and closer as the others ended up away from me and in the center of it all as well.

What was happening? I had never seen anything like this before, and the mere idea that some kind of monsters like this could even exist sent nothing short of an icy fear into my veins, and in the time it took for me to blink, we were swarmed by the creatures. I was knocked to the ground, and I screamed as their claws dug into my arms and legs while I tried to find a way to get them off of me so I could run, but I couldn't fight them. At a distance, many would assume these creatures were harmless – the smaller ones didn't seem that threatening – but in truth, these monsters were dangerous, and I knew that if someone didn't stop them, we wouldn't be making it out of this.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" I heard Roxas's voice as I pushed away from the creatures and reached for him within the mass. Ocean-blue eyes locked onto me and his hand grabbed my arm, and I did the same as he pulled me out of the mass of monsters and into his arms. I was scratched and bruised, but I knew in his arms, I was safe.

"Namine! Roxas!" the monsters turned their attention to us as we heard our names being called by our friends and found them being cornered. I took in a deep breath and grasped Roxas's hand to help keep myself standing before we glanced around us, and realized that we were complete surrounded.

"We're not getting out of this, are we?" I heard Olette question. My body tensed, arms wrapped around Roxas's waist as I tried to take in a deep breath and prepare myself for what would come. Was this really the end?

 _"Are we really going to die here?"_

I closed my eyes and braced for the bitter bite of death and the encompassing darkness, but as I closed my eyes, I felt someone talking to me, and I only tightened my grasp around Roxas's waist as I hoped and prayed this wasn't death whispering in my ear.

 **{….}**

 _You know my name, you know my face..._

 **{…...}**

Author's Note: Well, here we are with chapter 3 of Birth by Dreams – Final Mix! I hope you guys like the progress, but I must apologize! I know that I have not updated recently, and I am sorry for this, but now, I should be back on track! I'll see you guys soon!

Preview:

"I'm scared..."

"Okay, you bastards...let's dance..."

"I hope I'm wrong, though..."

Chapter 4: Trust Me


	4. Day 4: Trust You

Day 4: Trust You

The sensation of someone present on the opposite side of me caught my attention. My heart leapt into my throat and my ears rang as the scuttling noise of the monsters drew closer, and I felt my body shake, my blood ran cold, and I tried to find a way to prepare for what would come. However, an arm wrapped around me and a hand was placed upon my shoulder and weight leaned against my back – someone was there, and they were trying to talk to me. I knew that they weren't legitimately there because no one said a word; however, someone's presence was there, and I knew I had to listen.

 _"I don't want to die..."_

"We'll figure it out! Don't worry! We..." I felt Roxas shift slightly, and I held onto him tighter.

"Roxas! Don't do anything stupid! We have to figure out a way to do this without losing anyone!" I heard Hayner speak, but my eyes remained shut.

 _"I don't want to lose my friends...they're all I have..."_

"Namine, come on, don't act like this now, please! I need you to be strong so we can figure out how to get out of here!" I heard Roxas speak to me, but I gripped him tighter, and I did my best to hold down the scream of fear I wanted to let out as I kept my eyes shut, not wanting to see death coming.

 _"I'm scared..."_ the creatures edged closer, and I knew we were running out of time.

"I know, don't worry, I'll protect you, I promise," Roxas said this to me, and I felt tears well in my eyes as I heard Olette scream and forced my eyes open. A creature was crawling its way up her legs and digging its claws in.

"Olette! Get off, you damn thing!" Hayner grabbed the creature and four more pounced on him, which left Pence to try and help them, as Roxas and I did our best to hold off the creatures and hopefully find a way to run away from them, and I closed my eyes again and felt myself giving up.

 _"Help...someone please...let us get out of here...I don't want to be here, I don't want to die, I don't want to lose anyone else! I'm scared...please...please..."_

 _"Namine?"_ I jolted when I heard the voice speak in my head.

 _"Who..."_

 _"Now why are you upset, Namine? Roxas knows what to do...he can help you...come on now, don't give up!"_

 _"Who are you?"_ I asked this silently, but all I received was a slight laugh.

 _"Don't you remember my name, at least? Roxas told me about how pretty you were and how much you mean to him...please...don't give up on him...you both can fight!"_

My eyes snapped open as I heard the voice of a boy in my mind that I knew should have been familiar to me. I felt a tentative sound come to my throat, as if I wanted to say the boy's name. My heart skipped a beat as I felt realization dawn on me – this was the boy who Roxas dreamed about, and he was talking to me. I wanted to ignore it, but I knew I couldn't even if I tried. I turned to Roxas, who still hand his hands on me as the creatures drew closer, and I felt my breath leave me in a quick rush. Ocean-blue eyes – always gentle, kind, and full of warmth and laughter – looked into my own, and ease overtook me as Roxas smiled and took in a deep breath.

"Namine?" I looked up to him directly and felt worry re-enter my body.

"Roxas? What are you..." he pulled me forward.

"I'm sorry..."

I had no time to react as his lips touched mine in a gentle kiss, as he wrapped an arm around my waist, and I closed my eyes tightly in fear that, though this was my first kiss and it was with the one person I would want it to be with, it would end far too soon. In the brief moment that the thought crossed my mind, a tear rolled down my cheek, Roxas pulled away, and held me to him as he looked at the creatures crawling towards us. Roxas took in a shaky breath, almost as if he was going to try something risky, and I tensed at his side as he clenched his right hand and looked at the monsters with determination.

"Okay, you bastards...let's dance!"

I felt him turn and grip the air, and I tensed once more, unsure of what would happen. Only to be blindsided as a gleam of gray light twinkled into existence, and with it a bronze version of the Key the boy from my drawing had been holding appeared in Roxas's hand. Instantly, he swung at the creatures and they jerked back, screeching as if they were burned by the mere sight of it. I knew then that Roxas had, by some miracle, summoned the very thing that could save us. I felt Roxas take in a steady breath of relief as he grabbed my hand and took off towards the others in a full-blown run.

They were barely holding up the creatures and I knew they wouldn't make it, but Roxas jumped and swung the Key in an inexperienced manner at the creatures, who recoiled again with a series of wild hisses. I stared, amazed and slightly terrified as Roxas let go of my hand and gave me a smile as he looked to the others, who were gaping at him, as he turned his attention to the creatures as if he'd done this a hundred times before.

"Roxas? What is that thing?!" Pence asked as he stood and came to quickly stand beside me with the others, who had crawled away once the monsters had fled. Roxas looked at the monsters and swept the key outwards as he took in a steadying breath, and I could only give him a soft, slightly sad smile as I realized what he was doing.

 _"He doesn't know what he's doing, but he's not going to stop until we're safe..."_

"I don't know why, but you creatures are scared of this, and guess what? I don't like you..."

We watched as the creatures started moving back before Roxas stepped forward with the Key in hand and kept his gaze locked on the creatures – as he watched them, they continued to step back further and further until they started to vanish in wisps of smoke. I honestly couldn't believe what I was seeing, and as I stood there, my mind tried to make sense of what was happening, and I was given the sudden understanding of the words the boy had whispered to me in recognition. Roxas would know what to do and that I shouldn't be afraid, that I should remember his name. I settled my eyes upon Roxas and felt the tension in my body ease, my heart-rate slowing, and my breath evening as I watched him keep his focus on the creatures, and the key-weapon out. He was trying to see what was going to happen between himself and the creatures, so he could protect us. His stance wasn't perfect, his grip was too tight, and slight worry appeared in his bright eyes, but he was doing this to the best of his ability.

His movements were a bit shaky, I noted, but I knew he could handle himself, because Roxas was strong, and he could conquer anything if he tried. Taking in a deep breath, he charged them, and I wondered, what was happening to him? I bit my lip and stood there, backing away as the few final remaining monsters dove after him, but left us almost completely alone. Fear curled inside me once again, and then the presence was back.

 _"He'll be okay, don't worry, Namine. Don't be afraid...he's strong and he knows what he's doing, I promise..."_

Once more, the voice invaded my thoughts. It was soft, gentle, smooth like silk, and calming in one of the strangest ways. To me, it sounded young, around our age, with a faith rasp to it underneath the smoothness. I looked to Roxas as he slashed one of the braver creatures and took it down with ease and the others cheered him on. I took in a steadying breath, steeling my nerves as the monsters vanished at long last, and Roxas moved towards us, keeping his eyes open for a possible sneak attack until his arm slipped around my waist, and I pulled him into a tight hug, tears welling in my eyes. For once, I was thankful that Roxas had those insane dreams, because I was now almost one hundred percent sure that those dreams had just saved our lives.

 **{6:02pm: Roxas's House}**

"What the hell was that thing, Roxas?!" asked Pence as he looked towards him while I remained standing next to Roxas at the stove some time later, trying to cook and ignore what had happened, despite our wounds. I had a first-aid kit and had used it to patch us up – thankfully, our injuries were minimal – and now we were trying to unravel what had happened. My hand still shook and I would flinch a bit still, but it was nothing compared to what we could have dealt with. I honestly didn't mind fights, I had been in them before, but a war? Or something like we'd just experienced? No, thank you. I preferred peaceful summer afternoons.

"I wish I really knew what it was...but..." I sighed.

"Whatever it was, it saved our lives – I'm not going to question it," I told him as I steadily cut up some of the potatoes.

"It looked like that weird, giant key-thing that boy in your dream had. Remember? The one Namine drew?" Olette pointed this factor out, and we had all begrudgingly agreed that it did greatly favor the Key.

"Except this Key is bronze and has indents in the base. It's not smooth like the other one," Roxas mentioned this to us, and I took in a deep breath.

"That's true, but, Roxas? Are you okay?" I had to question him, and that was because he was pale and shaky, but more or less okay. I just was worried about the far-off look in his eyes.

"Hmm? Oh...I'm okay," he said with a smile.

"Are you sure?" Roxas nodded, and I could only slowly accept it.

"Yea, I'm perfectly fine! Just tired from all that...promise," he stated, and I submitted.

"Okay..." then I heard one of the others clear their throat.

"So...you two kissed..." we both stilled, my face turned blood red, and Roxas's was no better.

"Um...y-yea...I guess...we did..." If I were to be honest, Roxas sounded as if he'd almost forgotten that he'd kissed me in the middle of a fight. However, I couldn't hold it against him – it was a high stress moment, and he acted in a feeling. Now I only had to question whether or not it was genuine.

"That was a very interesting way to get your first kiss...don't you think? Nami?" Pence joked with me, but I only flushed darker, and sent the trio behind us a scolding expression as I swallowed in a thick manner.

"Um...well...I suppose it..." thankfully, I was stopped from having to say anything further and causing myself more embarrassment because Olette spoke up.

"And? Are you two gonna get together?" asked Olette. Well, at least I thought she was going to save me from this – thanks for that moment, Olette, you're a true friend. However, I could only stare at her instead of voicing my opinion on her choice of words.

"I...don't know about that..." I looked to Roxas, who was staring into the stewing pot of meat and potatoes with a distant look in his eyes. I tapped his shoulder, and he swallowed thickly.

"Well...I just..." he stammered, unsure of what to do.

"Roxas? Are you gonna ask her out?" Hayner inquired. The boy looked as if he was about to die of shock, so I did the one thing I could think of.

I stood up on the tips of my toes and placed a gentle kiss to his lips, startling him to the point that he let out a faint squeak of surprise while the others grinned at the scene that I was positive they had waited for since junior high school. I knew very well that I had always loved Roxas, but I had started to fall in love with him around junior high school, when he started to grow up more and he acted more mature. I smiled and felt a small bubble of hope form in my chest as he slowly returned the kiss before I settled back on my feet and looked at his flushed face as I gave him a bright smile.

"I'm sorry...I...didn't tell you, but...um...I actually do...have...you know, and..." Pence sighed alongside Hayner and Olette.

"Just say yes! I'll be your boyfriend; man, she's perfect for you," Hayner stated. I watched Roxas gulp and try to find the words.

"Well?" I asked.

"I...um...I, you see...I really do...too, Namine...so I..." I watched him glance to the side, clearly embarrassed and at a loss for words.

"Come on, boys, let's give them some personal time – we'll go to the curb market and grab some drinks, okay?" With that, we watched Olette shove Hayner and Pence out the door.

"I think that was a blessing in disguise," I stated to him. Roxas flushed cherry red and stepped back a bit from me, almost seeming to be unsure about what to say on this current situation. I looked him over and smiled as I read his emotions clearly. Roxas was confusing to so many people – but not to me. In my eyes, he was an open book, and I understood him in almost every way.

"Y-Yea...Namine...I...please...tell me...I didn't...m-mess a-anything up..." I watched him stutter and turn darker red as he tried to tell me an unexpected truth, but while he was a nervous wreck, I was calm, and I only smiled.

"You haven't ruined anything. If anyone asks, I can just say my first kiss is one of the most memorable in the world, because I got it from a hero wielding a Key as a weapon," I stated honestly, and Roxas gave me a nervous smile.

"M-Me? No... I d-didn't even know what I was doing...I-I'm no hero...Nami..." He was still red in the face, and though I knew the praise was flattering, Roxas was frankly too honest and humble to accept it.

"But you helped us get people out of there, you also saved our lives," I mentioned with a gentle smile. Roxas only shook his head.

"I'm no hero...I'm just Roxas Lyster, just a normal high school freshman. I didn't save hundreds of lives, I didn't destroy an evil overlord! I didn't fight a war, I didn't really destroy monsters, I didn't get the girl, and I..." I leaned up and kissed him again, making him stare wide-eyed at me.

"You're babbling, Roxas; and yes, you did save lives, you did destroy monsters, you did fight, and yes, you crazy brat...you got the girl," I said with a sincere expression.

"Namine..."

I reached up and brushed his bangs from his eyes before leaning against him as I took in a deep breath. Roxas had this scent that reminded me of oranges and sea salt ice cream, and it brought back memories from our childhood. I wrapped my arms around him and gave him a broad smile before I reached up to touch his cheek.

"You don't have to slay evil lords or fight a war, and you don't have to battle monsters, and you know why?" he blinked at me and another smile graced my features.

"Why?" I snuggled up to him again, and gave him a smile with warmth and love in my eyes. Love that I hoped he knew was sincere, and that it was exactly what I had felt for Roxas since we were in middle school. Ocean blue eyes reflected my own sapphire ones, and I saw the same things in his eyes that I knew were in mine, and for the first time in a while, I felt oddly peaceful.

"Because you're my hero and you don't have to be anyone else's. Even if you think what you did today was small, I think it was as grand as a hero of a world war," I said with my eyes closed, as I rested my head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat.

"Namine?" I opened my eyes and looked to him.

"Yes?" he brushed my hair behind my left ear and gave me a soft smile.

"Thank you, and I love you, too."

 **{Roof of Roxas's House: August 16th 2013, 9:00am}**

I sighed, looking out onto the harbor with my sketchbook in my lap as I continued to draw the sunset, ships, and hills in outlines as silhouettes, and listened to the crashing waves as I faintly heard Roxas yelling at the other boys from downstairs to help him carry the other things out into the patio where I was seated. I heard the door open, and looked to see Olette coming out with two pitchers of drinks – looked like cherry Kool-Aid – and sat it down on the table before looking to me with a smile.

"Well, you and Roxas are all smiles and laughs today," she said to me.

"Yea...I don't really know why..." the girl who had been one of my friends since kindergarten laughed.

"I know why – you two have been dancing around one another for years and finally you're together," she stated this, and I could only smile.

"I'm happy...you know...I've had feelings for him since middle school..." I glanced down, and Olette frowned as I pondered the events from only two days ago. It seemed mind numbing to even consider all that had taken place over the course of only forty-eight hours.

"What's wrong, Nami? Is something bothering you?" I sighed in defeat.

"I'm just...not sure how to help Roxas with these dreams, and with what happened two days ago...those monsters, and that key weapon...it's confusing..." I admitted this with guilt only because I couldn't conclude anything alone. I didn't want to drag them into this mess any more than they already were; however, I needed to have another opinion on what to do.

"Well, it's hard to say it was just dreams...considering what we've seen and experienced...but...Roxas has never explained how he knew what to do with that Key thing, right?" I bit my lip before shaking my head.

"No, he didn't. But..."

"Hello ladies; fine morning we're having, hmm?" asked Pence as the boys came up the stairs carrying a tray and glasses.

"Yea...is everything ready?" I smiled as they nodded and sat down the tray on the table that the owner of the apartment had put up there for the renter to use. Roxas gave me a smile as he sat next to me, and we started to fix our plates with eggs, bacon, fresh cut fruit, and French toast.

"So, Namine said you didn't explain why you could use that Key thing two days ago," Olette stated calmly. I flinched as Roxas stilled, and glanced down.

"I...had a dream a few nights back, and it had one of those in there, and I used it. I was fighting those monsters with that guy...we...weren't the only ones, but I couldn't see the others because of the smoke and fire..."

"Wait...you and that guy dished it out to those things in a dream?" Hayner gaped at him as he asked the question and received a nod. I could only feel mild concern for Roxas on the fact that the dreams were becoming more than just mere dreams now.

"Yea, I guess we did...what?" I laughed a bit.

"It's neat that you helped him, but who would have thought that he would have helped you as much as he clearly did?" I asked.

"I didn't expect it to become reality...well...more so than it already has..." I smiled.

"It's nice to see those dreams came in handy, isn't it?" I inquired to him, and he smiled to me before nodding.

"It is...maybe you were right, Nami...Maybe there's a good reason for me needing to find him."

I smiled and agreed with him, even though, deep down in the bottom of my heart I knew that, as summer wore on and events came and went, both Roxas and I would be leaving Twilight Town one way or another, and we wouldn't have much say in the matter. Things were changing for us, and I knew that with change came new paths for us to take. I only hoped I was wrong, but I would soon learn that I wasn't.

 **{Mysterious Tower: 3:45pm – King Mickey's P.O.V}**

Being summoned to the residence of my former Master and now friend wasn't exactly a wonderful situation – not as it used to be – but I knew it was required. Simply put, a Keyblade Master's obligation was to come when summoned to the residence of the Grand Master, and being a Keyblade Bearer myself, I had to come when called. Only a few weeks ago, I had been here to discuss a situation rising up in Twilight Town and that I was to keep myself prepared to send in the Keyblade Bearers residing within my home world to the world in trouble so that they could settle the problem; however, I never expected to be summoned back so soon.

Sighing, I entered the Mysterious Tower and headed towards the staircase that lead up to Master Yen Sid's study. I remembered my first time here was somewhat unnerving – I was young and newly engaged to Minnie; therefore, I needed training to become a King who could lead people during times of crisis. I sought out Master Yen Sid to learn how to use a Keyblade and became his first student, and only student. It had been a year after I had become a Master that I met his newest student – a young boy with gingery-chestnut hair, electric-baby-blue eyes, and a bright smile. I smiled as I thought about him and the things that came and went, and my first time meeting the newest Keyblade Bearer surfaced.

It had been after I traveled through the Realm of Darkness, after I had found a silver-haired, cyan-eyed boy named Riku Hirigaya, that I met his best friend and the boy chosen by the Silver Kingdom Key – Sora Seiren. The boy was covered in scrapes, bruises, and blood splatters mixed with soot, ash, and dirt. His clothes were dirty and tattered, his lip busted, and his hair matted with the blood of the Heartless he had slain known as Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, and sweat. This thirteen-year-old boy had faced many challenges and had helped myself and Riku shut the door to Kingdom Hearts so that the Heartless couldn't escape; however, it was as I came up to Riku and told him that we would see them again that the door was wretched open, and the scraped-up, blood-smeared hand of the boy we'd just said goodbye to reached through, grabbed a fist-full of Riku's shirt and jerked him forward. Upon instinct, he reached for me, and we were pulled through before the door slammed shut again.

That was my first meeting with Sora, and I did so by finding him atop Riku, screaming at him, tears in his eyes, and a series of less than kind words leaving him. Regardless of what he did at that point, I could only stare onwards in surprise at the young boy I had encountered. Seeing him growing up though, becoming stronger, and becoming a Master alongside Riku, was worth all of the trials they'd gone through; however, it wasn't over – they were about to set upon another series of trials much greater than any they had faced thus far. I looked up to the crescent moon-marked door and opened it after knocking and being told to enter. Standing alongside the desk was a black-cloaked figure and my dear old friend – and Master Yen Sid's former student of wizardry – Oswald. I smiled and came to stand beside him before our former Master's eyes settled upon us.

"It is good to see you again, Mickey," he told me this, and I nodded.

"As it is you. But tell me...what's going on?" I had to ask, only because I feared the worst.

"I'm afraid that my assumptions were accurate – a Keyblade has appeared in Twilight Town, and two people have been exposed to its power. One is a wielder, and the other seems to have accidentally been exposed to it via secondary touch," Master Yen Sid informed us of this, and I tensed.

"So, a new Bearer has been chosen..." I couldn't help but feel discontent with this. The Keyblade rarely was fair when it chose its wielders, and if the current record was anything to go by, it would be a child. Sora was thirteen when he became a person burdened with a hefty task that would force his hand and take his fate from his own grasp. My mind went to the events back and April and I could only flinch in pain of the horrible memories.

"Yes, I do not know who it may be; however, I feel we must retrieve these two people as swift as possible. Any time wasted could cost them and those around them their lives, or leave them open to influences from Xehanort that we mustn't allow," Master Yen Sid stated.

"Alright, how are we going to go about this?" Oswald asked the question, but the black-cloaked figure replied first.

"How do you think? We're sending in those Masters to pick up the newbies, of course!" I frowned.

"What is an Organization Thirteen member doing here?" I stated sharply.

"This is my informant from within Castle Oblivion. He is one of the only reasons that Sora survived his ordeal there..." I tensed in surprise but tried not to feel to shocked or show it upon my face as the other shrugged.

"Listen, I did it because I owed a few favors, and knew I was in with the wrong crowd. But the things that I saw them try and do to that kid...it made me sick thinking I might have to watch and not step in because of my cover needing to be maintained. Up until now, I've had to remain on the down-low; however, that's done and over with, now...I'm in the clear and will be helping you guys out in the open...well...in a bit, anyways..." I sighed, accepting it as it was, and nodded before turning my attention back to Master Yen Sid.

"What do you want me to do? You realize if I raise any alarms, I could cause a relapse for Sora by stressing him too much," I stated this, and Master Yen Sid nodded to me.

"I am aware of this. I believe, however, that Princess Kairi and Master Riku can assist him. Sora is far stronger than you give him credit for, Mickey, please remember who is father is and which of his parents he took after..." I looked down.

"How could I forget when he looks more and more like him every day?" I couldn't help but be downtrodden by those words. Sora was stronger than I wanted to admit, but he also was far too much like his father. He looked so much like him, his personality favored his – not that his mother's didn't shine through from time to time – and it appeared that the older Sora got, the more like his father he would become. I looked up to my former Master, and he sighed.

"I understand; however, Master Sora has many battles coming his way...you cannot comfort him every time he suffers. He also has an obligation to follow up with – as does Master Riku – to take on a student or two, and Master Sora will be the best choice to prepare them for potential war time in only a few months...Master Riku will assist, and together they will train the two new chosen Bearers and Princess Kairi," he stated in finalization. There would be no arguing at this point, and I knew it. However, I just couldn't help but feel dread upon my shoulders as Master Yen Sid looked to the three of us.

"Very well, what do you need me to do?" I asked.

"In three days Masters Sora and Riku need to be prepared to leave, alongside Princess Kairi, to head to Twilight Town. If I am in understanding, you are in possession of both world charms, as well as Star Shards?" I nodded.

"Yes, Master Yen Sid," I replied, anxiety building in my system.

"I shall expect them to be prepared to leave then. It is time to prepare for war, the darkness is stirring, and the Keyblade is seeking out additional allies for the return..." the cloaked figure shifted.

"What's all this mean, exactly?" he asked.

"Both sides are preparing for the final stand. We must prepare ourselves for the coming days, for they will undoubtedly be dark, and...we must begin preparation for what will come...we will not have long..."

The words sent a chill to my bones because I knew they were true. We were running out of time, and our preparations were slim to none. The others were more than likely well aware of what was happening; however, we weren't going to be out of the woods for a long time. I took in a deep breath, nodding my head as I considered how greatly this would change things, and not merely in dynamics, but in the reality in which we all had lived in for so long. Our days of mild battles were coming to a close, and with new Keyblade Bearers appearing, the time to train was coming to a close. I gathered my thoughts and looked to Master Yen Sid.

"When should I tell them?" I inquired.

"Tomorrow, you must inform them of it at first light – waste no time." I nodded.

"Yes, sir; also...I do have a mild concern...Sora has been showing signs of magical pressure illness, and I wish to have that remedied before they depart," I mentioned, and he nodded his head to me.

"Very well, I shall send an elixir with you that shall relieve him of the symptoms within time for their assignment. Master Sora should be healed of it for the most part after three days. Now, as for you, Oswald, I will be sending you to inform half of our comrades, and the same goes for you...I shall send you for the rest." We nodded.

"Alright, give me the list and what to say and I'll be off," stated the cloaked man.

"Very well; Mickey, you may leave, and I wish you the best."

I was handed the elixir with a note – the recipe card for the potion – and said goodbye before leaving with dread in my system. I knew that things would change, and it would bring with it the beginning of everything that we had so greatly tried to stall.

{…..}

You'd know my heart, If you knew my place...

{…...}

Author's Note: And here is Chapter 4 of Birth by Dreams Final Mix! I hope you guys have enjoyed this so far, because we're not done! The Final Mix edit will round off at about 23 or so chapters, so I hope you guys enjoy it! Let me know what you think!

Preview:

"I might as well see if I can handle it or not..."

"Your acting hostile again. What's going on with you?"

"It's from Master Yen Sid...and King Mickey..."

Chapter 5: The Sky


	5. Day 5: The Sky

Day 5: The Sky

 **{Disney Castle – August 17th 2013: 7:05am – Sora's P.O.V}**

Sometimes, being a Keyblade Bearer can be one of the worst jobs in all the worlds. I don't mean that I would change the life I have now – not for anything – but it's not the easiest life either. For a kid who grew up on an island where it's pretty laid back, becoming someone who's the person destined to kill the man causing so many people turmoil is a great amount of change, if you ask me. I started this when I was thirteen, and now, at sixteen, I'm a Keyblade Master, alongside my best friend Riku, who, thankfully, also became a Master in April of this year. However, since we became Masters, our lives haven't exactly gotten any easier.

"Are you sure you should be trying to use this summon?" I glanced to Riku and Kairi, who were watching me in concern.

"I might as well see if I can handle it or not..."

The summon in question was one of the newer ones I had been dealing with for the last few days – after being surprisingly sick from the magical pressure sickness, I needed to test out my summons, and keep up with my own personal training. Just because I became a Master, didn't mean there wasn't new things I needed to learn or that I didn't need to practice anymore. However, this one particular summon was giving me a bit of grief. While I could use my teacup summons to the point that almost all of them were out – despite still needing to focus harder – and I could summon my friends from another world, I couldn't handle this one problem with this summon, which unfortunately was one of my strongest. We were at the beach, because it had a singular requirement to be met – I needed to be near water.

"Okay, but...how many times have you tried this?" asked Kairi as I stood ankle deep in the water.

"Well...I've tried it six times..." the two watching me nodded, seemingly appeased; however, I should have remembered one key rule – when you're friends with a Dream Eater who vowed to protect you and act as your comrade, sometimes hiding things like giant mess-ups on summons isn't exactly easy.

"And how many of those were a failure?" Riku asked this of me and I sighed, slumping a bit before I straightened up and gave them a dismissive look.

"Six times..." another look from Riku told me what he was thinking.

"I thought so, judging from your tone," he stated. Allow me to rephrase the earlier statement – hiding things like this from your Dream Eater friend is impossible.

"But I've got to get this thing down! It's one of the bigger and stronger summons!" I clarified this, but Riku gave me a look that stated I was going to be lectured on my choices – again.

"You have other strong summons..." I looked him over.

"Such as?" he hummed in thought.

"The Meowjesty?"

"It's a rodent with a crown..." I replied with a deadpan tone and expression.

"Stitch?" I narrowed my eyes a bit.

"He's an alien – he can't be in water or he drowns...so he's not always available..." I stated.

"Chicken Little?" I groaned.

"I think we need more than just help from our friends in other worlds, Riku!" I said this with a frustrated tone, and he thought again.

"What about the Rocky Mountain Train?" my expression returned to being bland.

"It ran off track..." I reminded him.

"The chariot?" he offered this, and I frowned.

"Are you kidding? I had static electricity for a week." Kairi smiled slightly, but this wasn't going to change anything.

"How about the Shooting Ride?" I glowered.

"Now you're just being mean..." he looked me over.

"Well, you always have the Teacup summons," he mentioned them, and I snarled almost.

"It's a serving dish made from rebounding glass...take that up with the Large Body Heartless that proved to me the Spinning Teacups of Death aren't always a great thing..." he shrugged.

"Then what are you going to do?" he questioned. I turned towards the water.

"I'm raising a ship..."

Needless to say, I remained where I was for several minutes before raising my hand outwards towards the water. In a few seconds, it turned and moved around me as I tried to focus my magic through my body and tried to force it through me in order to try to push the summon through; however, what unfortunately happened was me being thrown and having to cut a mid-air flip to keep from getting hurt as I sailed through the air – only momentarily catching the helm of the ship summon before it vanished into the water again and caused me to fall back into the waves. I sat up, tensing as I hit the deep side of the water and shot up from it and took in a deep breath as I shook the salt water from my hair and stood slowly before trudging my way back towards the shoreline with a sigh.

" _Again?_ What is wrong with that summon?" I asked myself as I stood there trying to figure out what was happening.

"Maybe it's just too strong yet?" Kairi offered this suggestion, and I sighed.

"I guess...I'm still working on it, though...eventually I'll get it," I said as I started towards the castle.

"Sora? Are you feeling well?" I paused momentarily as I looked to Riku and Kairi.

"Yea, why do you ask?" I questioned.

"Well...you see...I noticed that you're not sleeping at night." I took in a deep breath and rubbed my temples before looking towards the others.

"I guess I'm just...I don't know...feeling a bit out of it, and I'm concerned about some of the things going on with the activity..." a series of footsteps caught my attention and I looked to Riku, who frowned.

"Look, we can't worry about the Heartless or the Nobodies and whatever kind of mess they'll be doing," he told me as I frowned.

"What about the Organization? Or Xehanort? How about that?" I asked. The expression on Riku's face made me only feel a bit guilty.

"Sora, why are you so worried?"

I never could give them a straight answer when it came to that question. Why was I so concerned about this? The Heartless weren't that great of a threat with five Keyblade Wielders – four of which were Masters – around, but I wasn't foolish, and I wasn't blind to the fact that silence from an enemy was a dangerous situation to be in. The Heartless may have been weak at this point, but they would grow stronger and more deadly as time went on, and the same could be said for the Organization.

Given time, they would have another opportunity to strike, and if we weren't at our strongest, we wouldn't survive it – I knew that for a fact. The situation with Xehanort Erebus was another story entirely, though. I had worries, but my concerns didn't lie with trying to kill him off – they laid with how much more destruction he would cause, how many more lives he would claim all for the sake of his psychotic desire to control Kingdom Hearts, and how many more worlds he would lay to ruin because of his own vile, black heart.

My gaze went to my friends and I sighed as I tried to convey those feelings to them; however, I knew it wouldn't work. For some reason, I was more in tune with those sorts of emotions than others, and it caused me to panic sometimes. How could I tell them that I just felt that Xehanort was up to no good? That I felt in the pit of my stomach that he would soon make a move that would propel us into a war? How could I tell them those emotions and instincts when I didn't understand them myself? Sighing, I glanced towards Riku and then to Kairi, who was giving me a concerned look as I shook my head.

"I wish I knew...it's just this feeling I have that things aren't good. Xehanort is planning something...and it's bad, Riku, I can't shake that sense and I know it doesn't add up, but..." he sighed as I fumbled in my explanation, and Kairi came towards me and took my hands.

"Sora, don't worry about it. If Xehanort was going to do something...I'm sure King Mickey and Master Yen Sid would say something to us and let us know what our next move is," she said this, but I could only look to the side, not being able to help the biting sensation in the back of my mind that something was coming, and it would ultimately be the catalyst for the Keyblade War to be resurrected.

"I know you're both concerned, but honestly? I know something is coming, and it's going to change things...and while it might not all be bad...in the end, it's going to end up putting us on the path to the last stand against Xehanort..." Riku tisked at me, and I turned to look at him before he grabbed my cheek and pulled it a bit before letting go.

"You're an annoying little twerp sometimes! Do you really think it'll change the fact that we've been in a war with him and we'll have to face off against him, anyways?" he inquired. I rubbed my now sore cheek and glowered at him.

" _That's not the point!_ You don't get it, Riku! This isn't just us having a final round with him and his forces...there's a lot more riding on it than just that...but I don't know what it is right now..." I heard him sigh.

"Fine, I'll trust you on this one..." Kairi tensed at my side.

"When have my instincts exactly been wrong?" I questioned him, and he started to make a point of how many times it had been incorrect but paused, only to frown and cross his arms over his chest.

"Paopu fruits don't hurt when you're hit with them." I narrowed my eyes.

"WE WERE _SEVEN YEARS OLD_ , YOU DUMBASS!" I snapped as Riku laughed.

"Lighten up. If there is a big showdown coming, you might as well smile and not let it worry you too much just yet. You'll go white-haired from stress, otherwise," he pointed out that, and I flinched.

"Y-Yea...you're right..." he realized what he'd said, and concern overcame him.

"Sora, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." I shook my head, stepping away as I started back towards the castle.

"No...it's fine...I'll see you in a little while at the training hall...I gotta go..."

They didn't try and stop me because they knew I needed to reign in the sudden choking sensation that overcame me and I had to be alone to do that. My anxiety had changed since April and the trauma of the Dream Drop was starting to ebb a bit; however, I knew I would never be free from the scars it left on me or the others. I wasn't going to recover from those wounds the same way I had other ones – I had to cope with them.

None of that scared me, but there were times when I wasn't able to just go along the way I used to – sometimes I had to stop and steel myself before I tried to move forward. Most would say I should stop being a Keyblade Bearer, but I couldn't because it was part of who I was now, but there was a specific thing that this harrowing time of healing and learning new things as a Master, and becoming stronger to combat what our foes would throw our way had done for me that was a good thing: I became wiser, stronger, and more determined. It had taught me vigilance and that I needed to remain unwavering in my choices. That was the greatest thing I had gained from the Dream Drop and I wouldn't change it, regardless of whether or not I had to combat my own demons sometimes.

 _"That's part of life, and you can either stand up and be brave in the face of it, or let it devour your existence – I'm not going to just lay down and die. I'm never going to stop fighting..."_

 **{Training Area: 11:34am}**

I frowned as I looked at the mirror in the washroom near the training hall. Sometimes, I wondered why I got left with this unfortunate reminder of the Dream Drop and why it seemed to be such a stigma around myself and the others. Riku's earlier mentioning of my hair turning white from stress was a bitter reminder of the streak of white in my hair. It never went away after the Dream Drop, and while I tried to give it little attention, it sometimes was hard to ignore.

It wasn't extremely obvious, like most would assume – it was rather small, and barely noticeable most of the time. It was a piece of my hair towards the left side of my bangs and went from the root of my hair to the end of it almost, and was just a small line of pure white – the color of Jack Frost's hair – and it seemed to be a permanent part of me now from a moment in the Dream Drop that I couldn't recall.

Sighing, I leaned my head against the wall and tried to remember when this had happened. After I had broken through the ice barrier, I was lucid enough to retain memories of what happened during the battle with Xemnas, and that Riku and I had used Eternal Sessions – a rather troublesome technique to perfect that took us a good two months – but another blank spot came up when I had dealt the finishing blow to Xemnas. My only memory from that moment was the sensation of falling and the sound of the summon I'd used shattering.

The next thing I remembered was waking up in the Mysterious Tower, flying into a state of fight or flight when I didn't immediately recognize my surroundings, and once I was assured that everything was okay, the stress and anxiety caught up with me and I ended up in a full-blown anxiety attack that had me shaking, breathing in at a haggard pace, and hardly being able to make sense of what was happening around me. It was after Riku had calmed me down and he was certain I was well enough to be alone – and I was informed that my ankle had been broken and to watch how I walked – that I had gone to get Kairi and woken her up before we resumed our Mark of Mastery exam after the meeting that allowed us to see where everyone would be heading next.

"Dammit all..." I muttered as I felt a sharp headache develop while I tried my hardest to recall the events.

"Sora?" I turned my attention towards the sound and saw Riku standing in the doorway.

"What?" I asked him as he looked me over with concern still evident.

"You okay? You look pale," he stated this, and I gave him a confused look before glancing in the mirror. Admittedly, Riku was right: I was white as a ghost and my eyes were glassy.

"Y-Yea, I'm fine...just kind of having one of those days, I guess..." admittedly, having my best friend be my Dream Eater was a bit of a gamble. On an upside, we were able to work amazingly well together on the battlefield – Eternal Sessions became seamless after the events of the Dream Drop – however, on the downside, Riku always seemed to know when I was hiding something, but that wasn't exactly a change – he's always known when I hid something from him and the others or just was lying about how I felt on a matter.

"One of those days doesn't translate into: _I was trying to force myself into remembering something,_ would it?" I narrowed my eyes at him.

"What the fuck do you want?" I snapped before turning to look down at the counter that my hands were placed on.

"You're acting hostile again. What's going on with you?" I shook my head and looked down.

"I wish I knew..." Riku came closer to me and I glanced his way.

"Sora, are you really okay? You seem like you're not feeling well," he stated. I only shook my head.

"I feel like _I'm a stranger in my own skin_ sometimes. Like it's not me...but it is...I don't know...it's kind of...weird, I guess..." I tried to explain the sensation of not knowing why I acted this way sometimes, but I also tried to convey that I got the feeling that something was wrong – almost as if someone was hiding things from us and we knew it, but couldn't figure out what it was exactly. I sighed, reigning in the thought as I glanced towards Riku, who frowned.

"It's fine. Remember what your mom said – it's just stress, and..." I shook my head.

"Riku, I know I have post-traumatic stress disorder because of what happened to me in the Dream Drop – you don't have to hide that from me," I stated. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him flinch.

"I figured you'd put two and two together...you're smart, Sora...but are you going to be okay?" I glanced to the side.

"Yea...I'm stronger than I look..." I started towards the exit of the room and looked to him as I started down the hallway towards the training room, and he fell into step beside me.

"I know you are, but...listen...about earlier..." I shook my head.

"Don't apologize, Riku, it's fine..." I said as I looked to him.

"I could have caused you to relapse because I didn't think about what I was saying..." he reached out, and I paused as he looked to me. Riku grabbed the piece of my hair that still bore the white strand from the events of the Dream Drop – I knew my hair had been white at some point – and took in a deep breath before shaking his head.

"Riku...it's okay! Don't just up and decide to watch your words around me...it makes things too strained, so..." I tried to tell him that it wasn't something to worry about, but I also knew that Riku had a point – triggers from the post-traumatic stress disorder could come up just because of what he said earlier.

"I saw the look in your eyes earlier...you almost went into an anxiety attack like back then," he pointed out as he dropped his hand, but looked at the strand of white in my hair still.

"Would you just drop it! It's not that big of a deal, and if we dwell on it..." I sighed, feeling a sharp pain developing in my head. I placed my hand to my forehead and winced a bit.

"Sora?" I shook my head.

"I'm fine, it's just a headache..." I assured him as I felt my vision swim a bit.

"Sora? Hey! Look at me..." I glanced to him, feeling a sudden bout of vertigo overcome me. I took a step forward and my legs gave out, causing Riku to catch me as I took in a deep breath and braced myself against the floor with my arms while trying to reign in my sudden disorientated state.

Only twice had I gotten like this, and it typically meant I was at the point of a relapse again – or my problem with magical pressures decided to rear its ugly head – regardless, it was confusing and slightly painful, but normally resulted in me being momentarily out of commission. I closed my eyes, trying to straighten out my thoughts while taking in a series of deep breaths to ease my sudden rush of anxiety. I had gotten to where I could control most of my relapse triggers, but occasionally they got the better of me – this one wouldn't if I could help it.

"Sora?" Riku called my name in a worried tone, and I slowly looked to him out of the corner of my eyes.

"I'm okay...it's nothing...I just got dizzy for a minute – it's the headache I had earlier," I stated to assure him I was okay.

"Are you sure? I mean, you..."

"Sora? Riku?" I looked up to see Kairi coming in my direction, her eyes worried as she got to us, and went down on her knees to check on me.

"Hey, Kairi..." she reached out to me and placed her hand on my cheek, secretly trying to feel for a fever.

"Are you okay?" I nodded.

"Just got dizzy for a moment. Sorry, it's probably the pressure illness getting the better of me or something like that," I said with a small smile to assure her.

"Okay, come on; let's get you up. We need to get to training..."

I nodded and got myself up and we started towards the training hall to practice with the pins again, but as we got them out and I sat them in the middle of the floor, I took in a deep breath and held my hand slightly out before raising my hand, and almost instantly the pins scattered in an effortless manner. Momentarily, I heard Kairi yelp in surprise as one of the pins slid past her quickly, while Riku stared onward at me as I felt the pushing energy of the telepathic ability I was using vanish from my body, and I looked to the pins, scattered about in odd areas like I had intended. I nodded to myself, feeling a bit of relief that finally that ability seemed to be smoothing out. Taking in a deep breath, I looked to where Riku and Kairi were and found them gaping at me.

Needless to say it was surprising, seeing as only three days ago I was struggling with the ability; however, that had changed since then, and now I seemed to be finally getting a handle on it. Taking a moment to think about the Keyblade best usable for this session, I held out my hand and summoned one of my most trusted ones to me and the familiar weight of Pumpkinhead fall into my grasp, alongside its sister Keyblade, Decisive Pumpkin, before I looked to the other two in the room with me.

"I wasn't expecting that," Kairi stated as I smiled.

"I've been practicing with books and things like that in my room to see if I could move certain objects. I've managed, no problem..." Riku sighed, looking me over in defeat.

"You're scarily good at these things sometimes," he told me as he drew Way to the Dawn, and Kairi summoned Destiny's Embrace.

"I've had a little more experience with this than you two have...so...let's get to sparring, okay?" they nodded and came after me.

Typically, I would attack them first, but today I decided to let them come towards me so that we could change out strikes occasionally. While it did benefit Riku and myself in ways, it was geared more towards Kairi and her need to learn different angles of attack and defense. I slid back and readied my Keyblades before jumping forward, and I struck Destiny's Embrace directly, causing Kairi to be flung backwards momentarily. Riku went after me as Kairi got herself up, did a quick check-over to make sure she didn't have anything broken, and jumped back in.

It was exciting to spar with them, because for so long, I believed I had been chosen to walk a lonely road without them by my side – a Keyblade Wielder many times had to walk alone – but I finally learned that I didn't have to be alone when they had shown up at the laboratory with their Keyblades in hand and fought to get me out and home. It became even more evident when we fought the Heartless and Nobodies during the Dream Drop, and then with our fight alongside our friends in Traverse Town. I slid back and rotated the Keyblades before taking in a deep breath as I crouched slightly and then leaped forward as I struck Riku, and then turned to Kairi, who blocked me.

"Come on, Kairi, I thought that you were stronger than that," I teased.

"I am!" she retorted this to me, but I merely smiled, rotated both my Keyblades once more and focused the magic in them as a blue gleam crossed me, and Riku tensed.

"Oh, hell, you better dodge him, Kairi!" he warned her, and I smirked in a broad manner as I darted forward, taking a chance to swing from one of the pillars near the wall before I landed a sharp hit to Riku's Keyblade, trying to strike him.

"Is that Flowmotion?" I flipped around Riku and slid across the ground before striking the area near them with a blizzard spell. The two of them became frozen to the ground, and I paused.

"Yea, this is Flowmotion..." I heard the ice break due to Riku using a fire spell, and he came after me as I jumped around him, using an ability known as High Jump to get away from him as I leaped into a lower hanging rafter, and then darted down the pillar in a spiraling motion, due to the Flowmotion ability still being in place. I looked to Riku and narrowed my eyes as I got into stance with my two Keyblades.

"That's incredible! Hey, um...Sora? Riku?" we broke away from one another and paused with our Keyblades at our sides.

"Yea, Kairi?" she seemed a bit anxious.

"Could you teach me how to use it?" I glanced to Riku and hummed in thought.

"It's a slightly advanced magic, but we could start training you to bring the spell forward and apply it so you can begin learning. I think it'll come in handy for you on the battle field," I stated.

"Yea, it's been a life saver for the two of us for a while now – so it'll be a big asset for Kairi..." I was happy to see that Riku agreed with this, only because I know that Flowmotion wasn't the easiest ability spell to learn. It threw us around the training hall several times before we got it right. Just like Eternal Sessions did, only not as bad.

"Okay, let's get to work, and..."

Kairi's statement was stopped by a broom sweeping into the room. I momentarily paused, going on guard alongside Riku because of the past incidents with the brooms; however, this one merely came towards me and Riku and held out an envelope for us to take. I reached out and grabbed it before the broom waved and walked away again. Momentarily stunned, Riku looked to me as I kept staring, and Kairi came forward in concern as they looked to me while my brain tried to process what just happened.

"Is he okay?" Kairi asked.

"I think he's in shock, because we've never had a broom not come after us before...well, besides those ten that Sora can control for some reason..." I shook myself out, and looked to them.

"Sorry, my brain had to process that...but why would it...oh no..." they looked at me in concern.

"What?" I looked at the envelope.

"It's from Master Yen Sid...and King Mickey..." it naturally made them raise an eyebrow, but I got the feeling that this wasn't just a simple letter to ask how we were – especially when it included King Mickey's seal on it – and I knew it was serious as well. Therefore, it wasn't good.

"That can't be good," Riku stated as I nodded.

"Yea..." I opened the envelope and looked towards the writing inscribed on the parchment.

 _Dear Master Sora, Master Riku, and Princess Kairi,_

 _Please come to the audience chamber at once. There is a serious issue that must be addressed, and I believe needs our full attention immediately. We will await your presence._

 _Signed,_

 _Grand Master Yen Sid._

I was right – this wasn't good, and at the time, despite the feeling I was getting, I didn't know that the letter I was holding would eventually bring us together with two new comrades.

 **{….}**

 _I'll walk straight down, as far as I can go!_

 **{…...}**

Author's Note: There's chapter 5! We're making great progress on the Final Mix chapters, huh? We're not done, though! Every story is going to be getting a Final Mix Edition of it, so look for more on the way soon for this story, and all the other ones! Let me know what you guys think! We will be continuing with Sora's chapters in ch.6, and after that, we will have four more first person chapters followed by a narrative chapter set where we will be dealing with the main portion of the story! Hope to read your lovely reviews, my amazing readers!

Preview:

"This is a matter of great importance."

"What do you think they'll be like?"

"I know this is the start of something bigger than just two new Keyblade Bearers..."

Chapter 6: Momentary


	6. Day 6: Momentary

Day 6: Momentary

 **{Disney Castle: August 17th 2013, 1:24pm – Sora's Point of View}**

Myself, Riku, and Kairi had ran the entire way towards the audience chamber where we were expecting a less than pleasant situation with King Mickey, and Master Yen Sid. In all honesty, I knew from the letter we had received that something had happened, and while I did have a slight sense of dread, I also got the feeling that perhaps it wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been. We had reached the audience chamber in record time and took a moment to catch our breath before we entered in and looked forward to see the King and Master Yen Sid settled before us, calm and quiet, while we were a bit flushed from running to get to them as soon as possible. Taking in a deep breath, I stepped forward with Kairi and Riku, thinking about the possibilities of why we had been summoned here and hoped deep down that nothing like the previous times had or would happen.

"Hello Princess Kairi, Master Sora, and Master Riku," stated Master Yen Sid. I honestly wanted to inform him that Kairi _despised_ being called princess; however, I also, didn't feel up to be scolded by the man, therefore, I remained silent as I awaited information on what was happening.

"It's good to see you Master Yen Sid, but what's happened? Why did you summon us here?" the aged wizard strode a bit towards us as he pondered Riku's question before sighing slightly.

"I am afraid this meeting isn't on exclusively meritorious news; however, it does have some good tidings to it in the more aberrant manner," he said softly.

There were times when being an avid reader paid off heavily, and this was one of those moments, merely because I knew that the word aberrant meant: unusual. Seeing as the news was neither good nor bad, it meant that the muddled mixture of words made perfect sense to me. The news was going to be unnerving; however, it would have a light side to it. Which meant there was a chance that, in spite of the lackluster statements we were about to receive, something fortunate would come from it.

"Did Xehanort make a move?" I inquired. Master Yen Sid looked me over and I took a deep breath.

"No; however, I do not question that he soon will. The reason I have called the you three in is because this is a matter of great importance." I looked him over, and Kairi bit her lip.

"What's happened?" she questioned.

"There have been two Keyblade Wielders to surface in another world." The statement had everyone in the room silent, but my heart leaped into my throat at the words. More Keyblade Wielders? Why? What was happening? I internally questioned this, but I couldn't quite wrap my head around it, despite my best efforts.

"But, Master Yen Sid...there hasn't been another Keyblade Wielder chosen since myself, Riku, and Kairi became Keyblade Wielders ourselves," I said.

"That, I am aware of. However, I also do not believe you are aware of the fact that prior to the last Keyblade War – which took place a little over a century ago – there were well over ten thousand Keyblade Wielders. I believe the light is attempting to replace as many of those lost ones as possible," Master Yen Sid explained this and I momentarily paled, my heart racing as an unnatural sensation of fear flooded my body.

 _"Calm down, calm down, don't panic! Why is this scaring me so much? I wasn't there for the Keyblade War, so why? Why am I so scared? Why does the mentioning of it in that context terrify me so much?"_

"Sora? Hey? _Sora?!_ " Riku's words dragged me out of my mental rantings, and I gave him a startled expression, to which he returned with a concerned one.

"Y-Yea?" my body had started to tremble for reasons I didn't understand, and continued to do so as Master Yen Sid watched me while I shivered almost as if I was cold.

"Are you well? You seem as if you've suddenly taken ill," he stated as he reached out and put his hand on my shoulder.

"I-I'm fine...I just felt kind of strange when you mentioned the Keyblade War. It made this weird icy feeling enter my body like I was hit with a blizzard spell to the chest..." Master Yen Sid looked me over as if I was telling him something that bore him no surprises.

"It could be one of the hearts residing within your own, Master Sora," he said calmly. I looked to him, putting one of my arms around my front to grasp my other as if I was holding my arm due to injury while I took in a deep breath and tried to grasp what had just been said.

"One of the hearts... _reacted?_ Why?" I looked to him, and he seemed to smile ever so slightly.

"Because you harbor a heart that witnessed the Keyblade War," he stated simply. I took a moment to assess the information and decided not to dwell on it.

"I see...but...please, Master Yen Sid, continue..." he nodded, and looked to us.

"Very well, I am requesting that the three of you head to Twilight Town and retrieve these two Keyblade Wielders before coming to my tower, where I will greet them and inform them of what will change from this point onward," he stated.

"Alright...when...should we leave?" King Mickey smiled to us.

"I believe you need to leave in two days. Admittedly, if we wait, Xehanort may very well make a move, and if he does...we may lose them both," the King told us as we took in the information.

"How do we find them?" Master Yen Sid looked to me, and I almost winced as he started forward and looked directly to me.

"Master Sora, do you recall when you connected that Riku and Kairi were Keyblade Welders?" he inquired.

"Yes, I do. But it was mostly putting two and two together..." the aged wizard nodded to me.

"Quite; however, do you know that Keyblade Bearers can detect one another?" admittedly, the statement stunned me.

"No, I didn't know that..." I stated as Master Yen Sid looked me over.

"Yes, I can only employ you to trust what your eyes, ears, and heart tell you. If you see, hear, and feel as though you have found them, I suggest you trust those instincts." I glanced to Riku, who nodded, both of us recalling the portions of our Mark of Mastery exam back in April when we had to rely on those instincts to get us through not only the planned trials but the battle with Organization Thirteen themselves.

"We will..." Riku assured him, and Master Yen Sid smiled before looking to Kairi.

"Do me a favor, Princess Kairi: _do not let them do anything foolish._ I trust them to make the proper decisions; however, I also know that Sora has been known to have quite the brash side to him..." I had to flush a bit at that, knowing that he was right and that it was something I needed to work on desperately, but I saw Kairi smile and nod while Riku smirked. Even if I did something reckless, they would have my back, no worries.

"We can handle this, Master Yen Sid, I promise," I told him while he hummed and then slowly nodded.

"Very well, I will send a Star Shard for you the day after tomorrow. From there, you will be heading to a world known as Twilight Town...I hope the three of you are ready for this, and as for you two, Master Sora and Master Riku, this is going to be your first assignment as Masters – do us proud," he stated to us, and I nodded alongside Riku.

"Yes, Master Yen Sid. You don't need to worry, we can handle this." he seem to merely smile at us and take in a steady breath, which did slightly confuse me, only because he seemed highly concerned about something.

"Very well, the three of you are dismissed to prepare for the journey. I wish you the best," he said calmly as we gave him and the King a slight bow and left the room.

It was as I started walking away from the door once we'd almost shut them behind us that Riku and Kairi pulled me backwards, and I jolted faintly before looking to them as Riku put a finger to his lips to tell me that I needed to keep quiet. I knew exactly what they were doing – sneaking around and listening to the conversation that Master Yen Sid and King Mickey were having. I wasn't one for eavesdropping, and when I did, it was only because I knew something serious was being said behind my back – this, I didn't feel that way about, nor did I wish to know about it. Taking in a deep breath, I looked to Riku with a frustrated expression and then to Kairi with a scolding one, to which she huffed and pinched my side to where I was squirming to get away from her until I heard someone sigh heavily from inside the room, and peeked in through the cracked door slightly with Riku and Kairi to see King Mickey looking to his former Master with a sorrowful expression.

"What is it, Mickey?" Master Yen Sid inquired.

"I believe you know why this saddens me..." the aged wizard nodded in understanding, which had the three of us rather curious about what he was talking about.

"There are two things I know you are concerned about. The first being these two new Keyblade Bearers. They will have everything taken from them and will be thrust into a war that has been waging since before they were born. Still, fate has a grand design for them, and we cannot discern what that may ultimately be," he stated as King Mickey looked down.

"True, but the second one isn't a concern, not really...it's a bit of a memory and a concern..." I saw a look of realization come upon Master Yen Sid's face.

"Something concerns you about Sora?"

Naturally, I jolted at hearing my name being said in that context. What had I done? Or was it something else? I tried to piece together what could be the problem, and yet, I couldn't put the two of them together despite my efforts. What was this about? Was this relating back to the Dream Drop? Or something else entirely? I tensed, uncomfortable about what was being said until I saw King Mickey nod.

"Yes, it's just...he looks more and more like him every day. He even acts like him sometimes...telling us that we have nothing to worry about when we should be concerned..." confusion flooded me, and at the same time, I could tell that Riku and Kairi were in the same boat – unsure and highly discomforted by the words.

"I know, and I understand; however, if you consider who his father is, then the quirks are understandable." I felt a knot form in my chest, and pain began to spread.

 _"Don't listen! You shouldn't know this yet, Sora! Please, walk away!"_

The same voice that had helped in guiding me since the beginning of my adventures spoke, and the tone was urgent and frightened. I listened, only because it had never been wrong before, and I had come to trust it as an instinctual thing. Every time that voice spoke, I felt as if it was someone I knew or should have known but had forgotten over the years, and when I thought about it, the voice always sounded like a parent. The voice was male, so I assumed it was the voice of my father, but I had no memories of him – at least, I assumed I didn't. Taking in a deep breath, I turned away and walked down the hallway, getting the sensation that if I knew too much, things would become harder for me.

"Sora? Come on, this is about you! We need to..." I shook my head at Kairi's protest of me walking away.

"No, I don't want to know. Something tells me I shouldn't know about this right now...Kairi, please...I'm trusting what my heart says, and it's telling me I don't need to know..." I looked to both of them, and Riku relaxed, his senses as a Dream Eater more than likely kicking in by this point.

"He has a point, Kairi...he doesn't need to know about this, things are going to be hard enough from here on out as it is," he told her, and slowly she eased her posture and looked to me before walking forward to take my hands.

"Okay, I'll trust you on this, Sora." I smiled as I kissed her forehead.

"It's fine, I don't need to know, and it's not going to change anything, okay?" she nodded, putting her arms around my waist as she took in a deep breath.

"Come on, love birds – we better start getting ready," Riku called to us and I frowned.

"You'll find a girlfriend one of these days, Riku, and I am going to find a way to get back at you, just remember that..." he rolled his eyes.

"Whatever you say, dwarf..." I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Don't make me seek revenge..." he nodded.

"Fine; come on, we got stuff to do," he said as we started down the hallway, Kairi holding my hand as we walked. I know I said I didn't want to know, but even as we made it back to our rooms and started to prepare for whatever was coming, I got the sense that soon, I would have wished I'd continued listening in on that conversation.

 **{Disney Castle: August 18th 2013, 10:07am}**

We had continued training, and both Riku and I took time to teach Kairi basic maneuvers in Flowmotion, and Riku took the time to teach her how to summon a Dream Eater that could help her out when she needed it. I for the most part, ignored the laughter from Kairi at my own Dream Eater I had summoned – the one that had gotten the name Meowjesty, for reasons even I wasn't sure of – and laughed myself as Riku made a comment that it was cute.

"Laugh it up, Riku; remember, _you're my Dream Eater_ , too, so be glad I can't summon you..." he rolled his eyes.

"Yea, that would be embarrassing, huh? Having someone bigger than you coming to save your ass," he said. I gave him a bland look.

"Go take a long walk off a short pier..." I stated.

"That would be easy for you, seeing as how you seem to be lacking in the height department..." I knew we got into back and forths like this often; however, there were times when I could take them a bit too personally. Especially when it came to my height, and Riku knew that good and well.

"At least I wouldn't be mistake for an ogre!" Kairi tensed near me, and Riku smirked.

"I don't know, hobbits tended to be a bit conceited," he stated. I huffed.

"Did you run out of clever comebacks? I guess that limited time warranty on your brain cells ran out."

"You're one to talk, that stunted growth is going to make it hard the older you get," he told me.

"Proven fact, smaller people have less problems when they're old..." Riku narrowed his eyes.

"I need to ask, why aren't you in munchkin land?" I groaned.

"I don't know, why aren't you at the witch's castle? You flying baboon!" Kairi put her hand to her mouth, trying not to laugh as I crossed my arms over my chest, and Riku sighed.

"And here I thought you were at least half-minded, turns out you have less than that," he told me this, and I smirked.

"Cute, but I've heard better comebacks from a parrot." He tensed, and I gave him a bright smile.

"What's that got to do with anything?" I shrugged.

"They mimic everything they hear and see..." it was a bit of a low blow, and I knew that; however, I also figured that there were worse statements I could make.

"Alright, you two, break it up. We have to get back to training," Kairi said as she elbowed Riku in the stomach and then came to me and kissed my cheek, causing me to blush. Even though we had been in a relationship for a few months now, I was still unused to public displays of affection.

"You lit up like a Christmas tree, are you feeling well, short-stack?" Riku asked teasingly. I frowned at him and then pulled Kairi closer, nuzzling her soft hair with my lips. Kairi being close made me feel calm when I knew I was about to say or do something I would regret; however, she also stirred a protective side of me when she was in danger or I felt as if she was threatened. Sighing, I looked to Riku, who rolled his eyes, and waved at me to come and spar with him, to which I nodded and gave Kairi a swift kiss as the Flower-based Meow Wow came towards her, and she began playing with it to adapt to its behavior. Smiling, my own Dream Eater, the Meowjesty, walked towards them and joined in while Riku and I sparred for a bit.

"So, about these two new Keyblade Wielders," Riku started as he summoned Way to the Dawn into his grasp and I looked to him as I smiled and summoned Oblivion to my side.

"What about them?" he sighed and I prepared to attack.

"What do you think they'll be like?" I frowned at his question.

" _How am I supposed to know?_ They'll probably be just as overwhelmed as we were when this started for us," I said.

"Do you think we'll be teaching them?" I paused as Riku charged and I blocked him, trying to grasp the statement.

There was a high chance that we would end up as their teachers, and the thought made me feel slightly anxious. I wasn't as confident in myself as many people thought I was, and because of that, I doubted my capabilities to properly teach other Keyblade Wielders and allow them to become prolific fighters such as myself and Riku. It was a slightly bone-chilling notion that I would have to face something that made me rather uncomfortable and potentially teach one of these new Keyblade Wielders. Riku looked me over, more than likely seeing the anxiety in my expression as I kept my eyes down and reacted instinctively to his attacks.

Riku lunged forward, and I barely blocked his attack before I stumbled backwards and he placed the teeth of his Keyblade to my throat, causing my heart to race as I felt panic settle in, and my magic overreacted. Before I knew what was happening, a pale blue light had encircled my body and I had shot a blast of light magic around me. Riku had momentarily jumped back as I sat there with my arms wrapped around myself as my body shook with the effort to reign in the magic that seemed to want to do nothing more than spill from me in torrents. I had only once had this kind of problem with my magic, and that had been during my first adventure in Traverse Town when a somewhat large army of Heartless – who had been growing stronger since I had stopped Riku when he was possessed and freed the Princesses of Heart – had attacked and I had used the spell Faith for the first time and ended up with it going into what Aerith had described as _Overgage_.

It was a point when someone's magic reacted upon instinct to protect themselves and destroy the darkness surrounding them; however, she said the last known event of it happening had been well over a century ago. Now it was happening again and I couldn't quite seem to control it – just like last time. I heard someone call for me, and the next sensation I had, despite the roaring of the light around me and the sensation of magic engulfing my senses, were familiar arms embracing me. Almost instantly, the magic subsided, calmed by the hands upon me and the presence of not only Kairi, but Riku as well. It was just as the magic died down that the door had burst open, and I turned my attention to where King Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and Master Yen Sid were now standing, looking quite anxious as they rushed into the room and kept their gaze upon me.

"What's going on here?" asked Donald as they came to us, and I glanced to the four of them through Kairi's embrace as Riku kept his arms around both of us.

"I...I'm sorry...I just...panicked a bit..." Kairi looked to me as if I had said something horrific and promptly slapped me. I was startled, needless to say; however, I did understand why she did it: I was brushing off something that shouldn't have been set aside.

"You went into an Overgage...Riku made your magic react because he spooked you," she said sharply.

"Overgage?" Riku slipped backwards and sat upon the floor while Kairi kept herself close, tangling her fingers with mine stubbornly as Oblivion rested at my side.

"It's when magic reacts to the emotions of the user. I believe you did this once before, after bringing Princess Kairi to Traverse Town," Master Yen Sid stated as I looked to him.

"Yes...it was the first time I used the spell Faith...I knew it was too strong for me to use, but we were being overran by Heartless and we couldn't beat them, so I...just reacted..." Kairi tightened her grasp upon my hand and I returned it, knowing that it scared her like it had last time when she had seen it happen and came to help me.

"This time, it was reacting to your fear when Riku took you by surprise, and it's because your magic is reaching a maturity as you are nearly seventeen, and that is when magic does tend to reach its mature stage," Master Yen Sid clarified. I blinked, taking in the information as I looked between him and then to the others.

"I didn't know magic could do that..." the wizard smiled knowingly to me as Riku continued to take in the information, and then Kairi leaned her head against my shoulder, seeming to relax quite a bit as she allowed me to put an arm around her. The presence she had always calmed me, just as I was always the one capable of calming her. Taking in a deep breath, I glanced up to Master Yen Sid, who merely looked us over.

"May I ask, what had you so anxious?" he questioned.

"I'm just concerned with these two new Keyblade Wielders, is all...I guess I got side-tracked when I was thinking about it and didn't pay attention..." he nodded and then looked to us once again.

"I see, are you capable of standing?" he inquired to me. I nodded, fully believing that I would have the capability to stand; however, I was proven wrong when I attempted to do so and my legs gave out from under me. Riku grabbed me about the waist, helping me partly stand as I looked to him.

"Sorry, I just stumbled a bit is all..." I tried again, but promptly fell once again with Riku and Kairi catching me.

"You seem to have exhausted your body with that burst of magic. I believe it wise to rest the remainder of the day," Master Yen Sid said calmly. I huffed, blowing my bangs out of my eyes.

"I can manage, I just need to wait a few, and I'll be fine..." the wizard shook his head.

"You're quite the stubborn one, aren't you? Just as one of my previous students was. Master Riku? Would you please make sure he rests? I do not believe we need one of our Masters out of commission when the time for the mission arrives in two days' time," he said calmly.

I promptly glowered at him, knowing good and well that he wouldn't allow me to get out of this. I shot an icy glare at Riku, who rolled his eyes and shifted his arm under my legs and placed his other one around my shoulders before hoisting me up in a princess carry, which I quickly began to fight with him over. I wanted to protest, and I did, quite loudly as Kairi gave me a displeased expression, and the King looked to Master Yen Sid with a questioning look, while Donald and Goofy did their best not to laugh. I narrowed my eyes once again, letting them know that I wasn't amused by the current situation, or the fact that Riku was carrying me like this.

"I'm fine! Dammit, Riku! I can walk if you'd just give me a minute!" I said sharply.

"Stubborn minikin..." he tightened his hold on me and I glowered.

"Put me down _now, Riku!_ " I snarled, baring my teeth a bit as Riku rolled his eyes. I could feel the others' eyes upon me as I did this, and I knew that it drew odd responses from them; however, I didn't quite care.

"You are going to rest, no more training today, got it? Dwarfling?" I sputtered indignantly at the statement and began to intensify my struggles.

" _Dwarfling?!_ What the hell is your problem?! You're not a giant, you know!" I snapped as I continued to wriggle and try to get loose, but Riku kept his hold on me.

"Yes, but I am five inches taller than you, who is five-foot-seven, and you're what? A hundred and eighteen pounds dripping wet? And that's pushing it. Face it, Sora; this time, _you lose_ ," he told me, and I narrowed my eyes, feeling magic spark back to life within me as the reaction of some of my magic circled me slightly, cooling my skin, and turning my right eye to a rich, royal blue.

I reacted quickly and flipped out of Riku's grasp to land upon my feet like a cat. In a matter of seconds, Oblivion had come to my hand and I was holding it in front of me, with Riku at the end of it. However, it was as I did this that I realized how greatly the Overgage had affected me. My vision started to blur, and I felt warmth rise to my cheeks as my breathing started to become labored. I knew full well that I probably looked ill; my heart was beginning to pound in my ears, and it told me that a fever had settled in, just like the last time this had happened nearly two years ago.

I saw Riku, and the others watching me momentarily as I felt the drain from the Overgage take its toll and a stitch develop in my ribs, my throat began to burn, and my ears started ringing as Riku stepped forward, and King Mickey did as well as I went down on one knee, breathing in deeply as I tried to regain my composure.

"Look at you, you're a mess, Sora. Come on, at least go back to your room and rest, okay? You need to," Riku offered this, and I shook my head.

"No, I'm fine! I can..."it was as I felt a sharp pain develop in my head that a hand came to my shoulder, and I looked to see Master Yen Sid crouched beside me.

"You must rest, Sora. There is no reason for you to fight us, and I understand that you feel as if you can handle something such as this; however, it would behoove you to question your choices at this point...for your own health and for the consideration of your friends," he stated. I glared at the floor before taking in a deep breath.

"I'm not helpless, and I can do this by myself..." Master Yen Sid looked me over as I said this, and sighed.

"Your stubbornness may have very well kept you alive during these struggles, but that same survival tactic is now making you appear quite fragile," he said. I stood, glaring at him as I did.

" _I'm not fragile,_ okay?! What's with all of you? I'm fine! I'm a little worn down...so what? I'll be fine just in a few moments, don't just assume that I'm weaker just because of something like the Overgage! It was nothing compared to the fights I've dealt with!" I snarled. The moment the words left me, Master Yen Sid stepped forward and I felt a jolt of magic snap through me as if I had been electrocuted, my body gave out, and Riku caught me as I narrowed my eyes at the wizard.

"Damn you..." the wizard smiled.

"I have dealt with someone as stubborn as you before, and I am not blind to the fact that you are not weak, Sora; however, you must learn to accept the help of those who wish to grant it," he stated calmly as I took in a deep breath. I knew he was right, and I wasn't proud enough not to admit it. Huffing a bit, I looked to him and then glanced down, not liking the fact that I would probably be teased by Riku for this.

"I think I can walk, at least..." I tried to stand, but the second I did, my legs caved out from under me.

"Sora!" Kairi called my name as she grabbed hold of me alongside Riku, and I felt my body strain to keep myself up.

"Okay, I'll admit it...I'm stubborn, and I'm being an idiot..." Riku rolled his eyes, and I sensed it almost instantly.

"Oh, I see..." I narrowed my own eyes without even giving him a glance.

"Would you stop rolling your eyes at me, Riku?" I asked as I felt him slightly jolt, telling me he was slightly stunned by the statement before I glanced to Kairi, who sighed and let go.

"Well, seeing as you can't walk..." with that, Riku picked me up, and I instantly hissed as if I was an angry cat.

"Put me down!" I growled as Riku gave me a long look.

"So...how are you going to get up the staircase?" my stubbornness streak started to rear its head again.

"I will _crawl_ if I have to, but _I am not a girl!_ Don't carry me like one, got it?" Kairi frowned at me, and I narrowed my eyes at Riku once more.

"Sora, just let him help you. We both know you don't have the strength to stand, how are you going to stay upright on his back when he's carrying you up the stairs?" my sky-blue eyes, while slightly fever bright, were still sharp as I shot her a withered look of annoyance.

"You're just loving this, aren't you?" she frowned.

"You can joke later, but right now, you need to get better, okay?" she said.

I groaned in defeat as Riku walked out of the training hall and Kairi fell into place beside us, while I contemplated how much trouble it would be to simply go ahead and crawl up the staircase, despite the chances of me running into brooms. However, my train of thought was disrupted when I heard Master Yen Sid chuckle a bit, and I shot a glower over Riku's shoulder at the sheer fact that he was laughing, and it felt as if it was directed towards me. Unfortunately, I was correct, but it was for reasons that were directly opposite of what I believed them to be. I continued to watch as Master Yen Sid was questioned by King Mickey, and then I heard something that for several months would remain with me for many months to come.

"Why did you find that so funny?" I heard King Mickey question the wizard, and then Master Yen Sid replied.

"You were correct, Mickey: he acts like his father did at that age, more and more every day."

At that moment, I could only think of one thing, and that I knew this was the start of something bigger than just two new Keyblade Bearers, but what it was and when it would happen, none of us knew – at least, at that time we didn't.

 **{…..}**

 _I'll follow you, if you follow me..._

 **{…...}**

Author's Note: I apologize for not updating _**Birth By Dreams – Final Mix**_ recently; however, with _**Kingdom Hearts: Revive**_ now finished, I can focus better on this story, so expect more updates. Tell me what you think, and I'll see you next chapter.

Preview:

"How are we going to go about this again?"

"We'll be leaving tomorrow..."

"Cheer up, okay? I like it more when you smile."

Chapter 7: The Ocean


	7. Day 7: The Ocean

Day 7: The Ocean

 **{Disney Castle: August 19th 2013, 8:40am – Kairi's Point of View}**

The last two days had been nothing short of exhausting, and the reasons varied from Sora accidentally activating an Overgage, to us preparing for our mission to retrieve two new Keyblade Wielders from another world. Riku was stressed, and Sora was no better; however, they perceived that it was only because they knew they had to, and as for myself, I merely took a deep breath and went with it. I was also a Keyblade Wielder, not just a Princess of Heart, and I also had another reason to struggle in the preparations alongside the boys: I was dating one of them.

My relationship with Sora was surprisingly peaceful, we didn't exactly have fights – though us being a bit heated in our conversations could happen occasionally – and we seemed to be on the same page of how fast we wanted to go in our relationship. Still, there were moments where I had no choice but to watch Sora struggle alone, and it felt as if every time I saw him suffer, every second I saw him strain against his trauma or the nightmares he would have, a part of me broke, and it felt as if I was being crushed.

Since the Dream Drop, I had noticed my connection with Sora had grown stronger, and while it was confusing, it did help in many ways, but there were some moments where I did feel as though I could truly do nothing, and that was one thing I despised with a passion: feeling helpless when someone I loved needed me. If anything, these recent months had put the fact that I needed to intensify my training as a Keyblade Wielder into a greater perspective. At current, though, we weren't training, the sun was just starting to rise, and I was watching Sora sleep soundlessly next to me.

It was always interesting to watch him sleep, merely because he seemed so peaceful, and the strain and stress of the life we led seemed to be non-existent; therefore, I took these moments in stride and tried to take in every detail I could and enjoy it while it lasted. The reason behind all this? Because our peaceful moments were always bittersweet and brief, if they even existed. I heard a faint hum next to me and watched as familiar sky-blue eyes slowly looked around the room in a half-awake state, and then he glanced towards me as I smiled and leaned forward to give him a faint kiss.

"Hmm?!" I laughed as I pulled away seeing as he made a startled noise while pulling back from me.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," I said. He yawned, stretching a bit as he got himself awake, and I merely watched him.

"What are you staring at me for?" he gave me a slightly tired look, and I smiled as I leaned over him before lying against him as I reached up and brushed his bangs from his eyes.

"I'm just watching you to watch you...no real reason..." I stated as I looked him in the eyes.

"I see...okay, then..." he smiled, leaning up to brush his fingers through my hair and then gently place a kiss to my lips.

Kissing Sora for some reason never felt odd or clumsy – just natural. There wasn't exactly what some would call the fireworks that made you seem as if you were just completely enraptured with one another, but the spark that was there made my heart flutter, my stomach do flips, and warmth spread through my body. All he had to do was smile and look at me with those beautiful sky-blue eyes and I felt better, even on the worst days. I smiled into the kiss, feeling a faint bite being placed to my lips as he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me closer and letting me curl up atop him as he knotted his fingers tighter into my hair and I followed suit, tangling my own fingers in the silky strands of chestnut hair.

It was only a few seconds later that he moved back a bit, and I was suddenly on my back with him over me. I laughed, feeling a faint kiss being placed to my cheek as I tangled my fingers back into his hair, and he continued to trail a series of nipping kisses down my throat and across my collarbone. There were times when this behavior startled me, and while I understood that perhaps it was just both of us getting a bit carried away, I also was well aware that something wasn't quite right with Sora. Things had changed since the Dream Drop, but the thing that seemed the most out of place was his actions like this, the biting, clawing, the faint roughness – all of it seemed a bit more animalistic than just merely human.

I tried not to put much thought into it, only because he had never really hurt me, and I took in a deep breath before looking into his eyes as he leaned up a bit, and placed a kiss to my lips once more, a bit deeper and more probing than normal, but I swiftly returned it, tightening my grip in his hair, and hitching my knee to his hip as he slipped an arm under my back and around my waist to pull me closer.

It felt different because of how close we were; I could feel his heart beating above mine as I fisted the back of his shirt, tangling my other leg around his as we continued to hold onto one another, the kiss deep, probing, and much more heated than either of us was used to. It was as this continued and I took a moment to breathe before returning to press my lips against his that I felt him bite down sharply on my bottom lip, and I yelped so that he jumped back, taking in a deep breath as I sat up a bit, our legs tangled together as he moved further back, and I let out a breath as I moved closer towards him until I was seated between his legs, and he swallowed a bit, running his tongue over his lips as I looked to see a smudge of blood at the corner of his mouth, and then I realized something: _I tasted blood._

I touched my fingers to my bottom lip and saw blood come back before Sora reached out and touched my lips with his own finger tips as he sighed, looking down as he reached for me and pulled me close, wiping the blood away again with his fingers before placing a gentle kiss to my still-bloodied lips. It was only seconds later that I wrapped my own arms around him and looked up to him as he ran his tongue across his lips again and then proceeded to look to me.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to bite your lip..." I sighed and sat up a bit, cupping his cheek as I smiled.

"It's fine, I think we both got a bit carried away," I said. He rolled his eyes.

"Yea, I think so, too." he glanced down, and I huffed before brushing my thumb across his bottom lip before laughing a bit.

"You've got some sharp teeth," I stated as Sora looked to me.

"My teeth aren't that sharp...I mean..." I laughed a bit, pulling his lips apart and reaching into his mouth a bit to feel his canines, to which he gagged and bit down on my fingers for.

"Oh come on, just say _ahh_ ," I said in a false, scolding tone.

"Kairi..." I heard him berate me, and I smiled brightly.

"Just smile for me," I stated, and he huffed before opening his mouth a bit to show me his teeth.

I saw the evident annoyance in his eyes, and I continued to smile as I looked to him and eyed his teeth momentarily. Most of his teeth were fine, white, straight, and were normal-looking, and then there were his canine teeth, which were a bit longer and sharper than normal ones. I raised an eyebrow and he snapped his mouth shut before frowning at me as I smiled and looked to him before placing a chaste kiss to his lips.

"Okay, fang boy, don't give me a look like I tried to take something from you," I said. He rolled his eyes again, and then looked to me.

"You've taken a lot from me...not that I want any of it back..." I giggled, curling up into his lap as I rested my head against his chest.

"Good, because there's no returns or refunds," I stated as he wrapped his arms around me, and I closed my eyes.

"Fine by me, Princess..." I looked up to him and glared.

"Do not call me _princess!_ Am I clear? _Thief!_ " I stated bluntly as he sighed.

"That's not fair, Kairi, you know I'm not a thief..." Sora defended himself, but I merely smiled and gave him an imploring look, tracing my fingers down his chest to his stomach in a slightly teasing manner that made his cheeks turn a fair shade of pink.

"Oh, yes, you are, and do you know why?" I asked as I began to move to where he had leaned back and finally lost his balance to where I was straddling him, and he gave me an evident look of embarrassment.

"W-Why?" I smiled, finding the stutter cute.

"Because you stole my interest a long time ago," I said as I traced my fingers down to the center of his stomach as he shivered just a bit.

"K-Kairi, don't be that way..." I rolled my eyes.

"Don't be such a tease yourself, then," I said as I leaned over him and pressed my lips gently to his. Just as I did so, though, the door opened.

"Hey, Sora, we need to...oh, come on! _Seriously?_ " I sat up, looking over my shoulder to see Riku standing there with an annoyed look on his face.

"What?" Sora sat up, looking around me slightly at our silver-haired friend.

"I wake up and I get greeted by the two of you messing around? I don't need to walk in on the two of you..."

"Riku, please, don't finish that sentence," Sora told him.

"Fine, but I'm going to turn around and pretend that I didn't walk in on the two of you like that...see you at breakfast..." with that, Riku shut the door, and Sora began to laugh profusely.

"What's so funny?" I asked.

"H-His face! _That was priceless!_ I don't think he realized it, but he turned the color of a tomato..." Sora fell back against the bed, laughing in a manner that made my heart flutter a bit as warmth spread through me.

Sora had a laugh that could brighten anyone's spirits. It was warm, jovial, and innocent – it was beautiful. Every time I heard it, I felt as if a piece of the broken, worried, exhausted, and frayed state of my emotions was revived and returned to me. Smiling to him, I reached out, caressing his cheek and brushing his bangs out of his eyes.

"Riku probably wouldn't find it as funny," I stated as I watched him continue to smile.

"No, but he does have a point, we need to go ahead and get ourselves dressed..." I pouted, laying atop him and nuzzling his throat with my lips.

"No! I want to stay in bed with you today," I protested against getting ourselves ready only to be thrown into another round of training, struggling, and preparation. I took in a deep breath and gave him a long, pouting look that caused him to huff, rolling his eyes as he looked me over.

"Nope, _not going to work_. We need to get to breakfast so King Mickey can talk to us about our preparations with Master Yen Sid." I promptly frowned and then proceeded to lay flat against him, tangling my fingers into his hair, messing with the strands.

"I just want one peaceful day for the two of us," I told him as I messed with the strand of his hair that bore a streak of snowy-white.

"Kairi...we have to meet them; come on, get off of me so we can get ready..." I puffed out my cheeks.

"Fine, but you owe me..." he sighed, and then looked to me.

"Okay, what do you want?" I sat up, allowing him to do the same as I hummed in thought, and then looked to him as I wrapped my arms around his neck, and gave him a soft kiss.

"Hmmm...I think..." I gave him another kiss.

"Kairi, come on, what do you want?" I smiled, kissing him once again, a deep searing kiss, and when I pulled back, I noticed a faint pink tinge to his cheeks.

"I want you to make me dinner..." I paused, and he gave me an imploring look.

"With?" he asked. I hummed, and then smiled.

"Chocolate-covered strawberries... _please_..." he sighed, defeated, and then wrapped his arms around me, giving me a brief kiss before nodding his head.

"Alright, princess," he stated.

"Hey! I told you! Don't call me..." I received another kiss, and then a mischievous and slightly devious smirk with imploring eyes.

"I know, but... _you're my princess_ ," he stated this, and I smiled before standing, resigning myself to the fact that I would have to deal with the day's events.

"Well, thank you, my prince..." he flushed at my statement, and I giggled as he took my hand.

"I believe I'm more of a knight or a warrior...I'm no prince," he told me as I smiled.

"As long as we're here for each other, we don't need titles. I love you, Sora," I said. He gave me one more smile.

"Thank you, and I love you, too."

 **{Dinning Hall: 9:20am}**

Sora and I walked down the hallway and into the room where the others were just sitting down. I took a seat, and Sora pushed my chair up before sitting himself down beside me, with Riku next to him. The three of us remained quiet, waiting and wondering what we would be told about our assignment. The room was silent until Donald, and Goofy sat down, and then King Mickey cleared his throat as the brooms brought out breakfast and sat it down before leaving, while Master Yen Sid kept his gaze upon the three of us until finally we were all eating, but never saying a word. I looked to Sora and then to Riku, who both shook their head in confusion of why there was nothing being said; however, that was short-lived.

"Master Yen Sid? Is it alright if I ask what's going on?" Sora inquired.

"Yes, I believe we should explain about the details of this mission." the three of us nodded.

"It's fairly basic, right? We go, get the new Keyblade Bearers, and leave," Riku stated.

"No; unfortunately, it is not that simple. Both of these people do not have the displeasure of having their lives disrupted by the Keyblade in a way that would entirely force their hands; which is unlike yourself and Sora. This mission is not quite time-sensitive, but it does need to be completed as swiftly as possible..." Master Yen Sid looked to us, and I bit my lip.

"So, the five of us have to head to this world, find the Keyblade Wielders, and ease them into this?" I questioned as I looked to the wizard.

"I can only give you five days, and this time, it will only be three of you." the three of us froze, startled by the statement.

"Only three of us? Why?" Sora asked.

"I am sending Master Sora, and then I am also going to send you, Master Riku, and you, Princess Kairi. I do not believe Donald and Goofy, though they are quite proficient in their jobs, are adequate for this task," Master Yen Sid clarified to us.

"So...it's just the three of us? But, why?" the wizard looked to Sora, who sat next to me and Riku in a tensed state. I knew it made him anxious, but it wasn't because he was used to Donald and Goofy being there, it was because he knew this meant something was coming.

"This is to prepare you for the day that you may very well be in a situation which calls for no other but Keyblade Bearers. Yourself, Master Riku, Princess Kairi, these two new Keyblade Bearers, King Mickey, and whomever else may have joined...or potentially returned may be the ones who stand on the front lines where no other souls may dare tread. Remember, Sora, you alone, to our current knowledge, harbor the hearts of several other Keyblade Masters, I do not know the names of all the ones whom are safely hidden within your heart."

I glanced towards Sora, who turned his gaze away from the wizard and looked down at the statement. It was a somewhat sensitive subject for Sora, and I knew that very well, but Master Yen Sid rarely cared for being sensitive; however, he did know when to be, and to my assumptions, must have decided this wasn't a subject to touch lightly upon. I reached for Sora's hand and took it gently into my own as he kept himself slightly tense and quiet. It was as the silence dragged on that I heard Riku take in a deep breath, and I turned my attention to him momentarily to see him look to Master Yen Sid with a faintly stern expression. I knew, when I looked to him, that he was doing one thing, and that was fulfilling his job as Sora's friend, and his Dream Eater.

"How are we going to go about this again?" he asked.

"The three of you shall be tending to your jobs as Keyblade Bearers alone this time, as it is part of your responsibilities as Keyblade Masters, and an obligation for Princess Kairi's own Mark of Mastery Exam when the time comes. Her field experience alongside two of our brightest and strongest Masters will undoubtedly do her well." I felt Sora tighten his grip upon my hand, and I internally winced at the pressure. I seemed to always forget that, for as gentle and delicate-looking as Sora was, he was also unnaturally strong, and the grip attested to that even as he lessened it and tangled his fingers into mine.

"He's not ready to deal with the potential of me having to go through that sort of hell...not this soon..." I thought as I glanced towards Sora momentarily and then turned my attention to Master Yen Sid.

"So, this mission is just us? Can we handle that?" I asked.

"This is to prove unto me and to King Mickey, that you can handle it yourselves. I have seen since the beginning that Master Sora can think quickly enough alone, or alongside Captain Goofy and Mage Donald; however, I have yet to see him react as such in a mission with two other Keyblade Bearers at his side."

"We can do that, no problem! You know we're strong, Master Yen Sid, and you know that we'll bring both the Keyblade Wielders to you no problem, Heartless or not," Sora stated while I smiled, nodding my head in agreement.

"Don't worry about us, Master Yen Sid, we'll be fine." he looked me over and nodded his head slowly.

"Very well, you will be leaving shortly, therefore, I suspect you will take this time to prepare yourselves for the departure date," he said calmly.

"Of course, is there anything else?" the wizard looked to us and I took in a deep breath, having eaten already, but when I looked to Sora, I noticed he'd barely touched anything on his plate.

"I have a Star-Shard prepared for you; now, allow me to tell you how it works. It is quite simple, merely make sure it is aligned in the correct direction, and the Star-Shard will be able to locate the coordinates of the world that you need to be in," stated Master Yen Sid.

"Which world is that?" Sora looked to him, and Master Yen Sid merely smiled.

"Twilight Town, that is where you will be headed."

"Alright, we'll get the Star-Shard, and..." the wizard gave us a knowing look.

"The Star-Shard is already in your room, Sora; as a Master, it is yours and Riku's job to set the coordinates and arrive safely unto that world. Now, you may be excused, I believe there's still work to do," he stated.

With that, we left, planning on preparing for the next series of events that would unfold.

 **{Wielder's Wing: 8:50pm}**

The day had finally ended, and I was sitting at the end of the bed, brushing my hair out before bed when I heard a knock at the door. Sighing, I set down the brush, and walked over to it before I opened the door to find Sora there, looking tired, but smiling all the same. I reached out, taking his hand before leading him into the room, and shut the door behind us as I gently placed my arms around him his waist as I gently reached up, and caressed his cheek before leaning my head against his chest as he placed his arms around me, and I closed my eyes, taking in his scent as I felt my tense body relax. We stood there in silence, not minding anything, not the war, not time, nothing at all, and it was fine. Sora leaned his head against mine momentarily before he tightened his grip on my waist, and then I felt him moved as if he was going to crouch down. In a matter of seconds, I was hoisted up into his arms, and had been tossed onto the bed where he laid down across from me, laughing a bit as I gave him a frown.

"Cheeky..." he laughed again and leaned forward, giving me a soft, gentle kiss that reminded me of his old ones. Occasionally, they would be this way, but the times where he was harsher and stronger in his touches and his kisses were rougher and heated did worry me a bit. I concentrated on the kiss, reaching up to tangle my fingers in his hair as I pulled him closer, and then I felt the tip of his tongue swipe across the bite on my lip and pull back, causing me to give him a concerned look.

"Sora?" he sat up, looking down, seeming worried about something.

"I'm sorry...about that..." I frowned as I sat up as well and grabbed his hands.

"We just got carried away, that's all," I said with a smile.

"Are you...sure? Recently...it feels like something's changing...like..." worry laced through me as I watched him and then looked into his eyes as I cupped his cheek.

"Sora, you can talk to me; no matter what, I'll be here. I promise," I told him.

"It's like I'm...changing, Kairi. Like something _inside me has changed_ , and I can't figure out what it is..." I watched him and fear bit into my body as I continued to see this thought eat him alive with fear and concern. Taking in a steady breath, I looked to him again and reached out to him before I wormed my way into his arms, momentarily surprising him as I settled myself into his lap and rested my head against his while I began to thread my fingers through his hair.

"Sora, promise me something..." he hummed a bit, putting his arms around me as he pulled me closer as he moved me closer to where I was straddling his legs, and his arms were wrapped around me as he pressed a soft kiss to my throat in a gentle manner. I leaned my head back a bit, knotting my fingers tighter into his hair, as I felt a soft kiss being placed under my jaw as he threaded his fingers into my own hair and I held onto him.

"What do you want me to promise you?" his voice was soft, gentle, trembling slightly as I listened.

"Be strong and keep your head held high. The shadows will try to steal you away from me into their arms, and you belong in mine...you've always been here for me, and I've always been there for you. But do you know who you are to me?" I stated as I kept him close, feeling our hearts beating side by side once again.

"What am I to you? Kairi?" I heard the small shake, the chill of faint worry in his tone, and I smiled as I leaned back, brushing his bangs away from his face.

"My _dearly beloved_...that's who you are...Sora," I said calmly as I placed a gentle kiss to his lips, and he returned it before leaning back to where we were lying side by side, entangled together as I pressed my forehead against his and snuggled into his arms as he held me close.

"You're mine, too...Kairi..." with that, we slowly fell asleep, looking forward to the upcoming events and hoping that we would be able to walk away with two new allies. Little to my knowledge, we were on our way to an encounter that related to many paths, some of which had been forgotten over time.

 **{….}**

 _I don't know why you lie so clean..._

 **{…...}**

Author's Note: Here's Chapter 7. Now, originally, we had planned for each of our main characters to have two chapters apiece; however, after looking at the content for Kairi and Riku's chapters, we have decided that they each will only have one chapter, and that is because of the roles and the situations that both Kairi and Riku are involved in during the entire course of this story. Don't worry, it'll be made up for with the extra content! I look forward to hearing what you have to say about the chapter.

Preview:

"This is something I need to ask you about."

"Well, we've been through a lot, right?"

"I get the feeling we're in for one hell of an adventure."

Chapter 8: The Land


	8. Day 8: The Land

Day 8: The Land

 **{Disney Castle: August 20th 2013, 7:40am – Riku's Point of View}**

Mornings at the Disney castle weren't exactly what I would call peaceful, but with someone like Sora Seiren as a friend, I don't know if I could ever exactly understand the meaning of the word peaceful. Since I met Sora at age five, he had been the hyper but shy, sweet, funny kid, and a huge bookworm. But when we had found him in January this year sleeping within a capsule of some kind, I had been given a sneaking suspicion that the boy I had known was long since gone, and the boy we were going to wake up would be different. Sora had been changed by his first adventure, and that was evident first of all by the behavior he had displayed when dealing with Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, and again, by his personality differences once we'd left the world he had been in.

Sora had become bold and brash, mouthy, sarcastic, and often he could prove to be highly agitated or easy to anger. I cared about Sora, and I saw him as a younger brother, but I also took note that he was forever changed by his experiences as a Keyblade Wielder, and would be further changed by the events he would face now as a Master. It was early morning, the day before we left, and I had noticed something when I'd gone to check up on Sora this morning – mostly out of concern for the torrent of confusion and discomfort I had felt from him during our conversation with Master Yen Sid yesterday morning - but lo and behold, Sora wasn't in his room: which meant there was only one other place he'd be this early.

 _"I swear, if those two have done something that I don't want to see...I might turn into a bat and fly out of here like hell..."_

My thought process varied as I went down the hallway and went to the pink-detailed door that belonged to Kairi. Often, if I needed to find Sora, or even Kairi, they were in each other's rooms, and that meant I did stand a chance of running into an unpleasant situation; however, I trusted them to make the right call on specific aspects of their relationship. Huffing, I knocked, and then after repeating the action for roughly ten minutes, I decided to just walk in. Jiggling the handle, I found it to be unlocked, and moved inward to where I saw both of them lying on the bed, curled up to one another, fast asleep. For all the things I had expected, the calmness and the quiet was refreshing, and something I doubted I would forget any time soon. Seeing them so calm and still, it was rare, and something that I wished we had more of in our hectic, stressful, and outright psychotic lives. But we didn't, and for good reason: we were chosen by the Keyblade, and that meant life was going to become interesting from then on.

As I watched them sleeping, I found myself thinking about the past, and what it had led to. I remembered meeting Kairi for the first time when we were three, and then the two of us meeting Sora at the age of four. We became fast friends, and his sweet nature, understanding personality, and curiosity fueled our own even as we grew older and began to start junior high school and prepared to go about facing our futures. Little did we know at the time that our future would include being torn away from our home world, taken to different worlds, and the three of us forced into different roles that originally, we wouldn't have had to face.

Kairi had her heart nearly taken by the darkness, only for it to end up reaching out to the only untainted heart still on our crumbling world: _Sora_. As for myself, I ended up in Hollow Bastion and was put at the mercy of Maleficent, who used me for her own means and ultimately used me even further for the gains of Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, who possessed me and forced me to fight my best friend.

Sora was also given a forceful task, something that someone of his age shouldn't have been made to bear; however, he not only pushed through the task, but he also excelled beyond and above what anyone thought possible. At the age of thirteen, he allowed his experiences to mold him, empower, and strengthen him to the point that when I finally was able to see him, he was alive and well, but changed. Sora was dressed in blacks with touches of red here and there, and his yellow sneakers had been replaced with black buckled boots, black fingerless gloves, and his normal attire changed entirely to something that we later learned came from Halloween Town as a means to protect him against the darkness that would have come after him by this point. Sora had changed, he was stronger, and had a greater prowess to him. So many things had become different since that time, and seeing the two of them together was another thing that I knew showed even more things were going to change.

"Alright, you two love birds, get up!" I said in a loud tone, which caused them to stir a bit. Sky-blue eyes looked to me blearily before Sora sat up in bed, and then looked to Kairi before turning his gaze back to me.

"Oh look...an elf came to visit..." I frowned, apparently his snarky behavior was going to rear its head first thing this morning.

"Can it, mouse, we've got a lot to do today. We're leaving tomorrow, after all," I said.

"Yea, yea, I get it, okay, Ent? No need to congregate the forest on me..." with that, I narrowed my eyes and reached out to knock him on his head.

The moment my fist made contact with his skull, I received a sharp yelp and then an equally sharp bite. I stared at Sora, who in retaliation had decided to sink his teeth into my hand. Jumping back, I pulled my hand free and observed the bite mark present and felt slight shock at the deep indents of the teeth as I turned my gaze towards Sora, who narrowed his eyes slightly at me in the process of us staring at each other. Admittedly, I knew Sora could do some pretty wild things when he retaliated, but for him to bite me, it sent up a few danger signs. Looking into his eyes, I saw a momentary change in his normal personality, and it did scare me quite a bit, only because the look he gave me wasn't joking, it wasn't sarcastic or mischievous, or even slightly apologetic. No, it was predatory, cold, emotionless, and bone-chilling. I took in a deep breath and looked to him once more.

"Sora?" it was as I went to ask a question to him that Kairi woke up and rubbed her eyes before looking at the two of us.

"Riku? What are you doing in here?" she asked me.

"Getting the two of you up. It's almost eight..." Sora yawned, stretching a bit before he looked to me.

"Yea, sorry about the attitude, I just woke up, and I think you kind of startled me a bit," he said to me as I frowned.

"You _bit me_..." he gave me a nervous expression.

"Sorry...I wasn't expecting you to hit me," he said bluntly as I shook my head and decided to drop it for now.

"Well, we're up, so I guess we'll see you at breakfast..." I glanced to Kairi and nodded before turning to leave.

It was as I exited the room and turned to shut the door that I glanced back in through the crack to see Kairi give Sora a kiss on the cheek, and he returned it, laughing a bit as she placed her arms around his shoulders, and then proceeded to place a kiss to his lips as he returned it, and then slowly brushed his lips down her jaw to the pulse point on her throat, which he gently nipped at. Kairi giggled, saying that it tickled, and then I saw him puller her closer, tightening his grip around her waist as he moved his lips back up, and pressed a kiss to hers before pressing their foreheads together. She smiled, softly, almost in a concerned manner before brushing his bangs from his face as she snuggled close to him.

"Sora, it's okay. Nothing's wrong, I think you're just stressed because there's so much going on," she said to him as I continued to listen.

"I guess...I just feel kind of weird sometimes...like my skin isn't my own..." I felt a tinge of worry flood me, the Dream Eater side of me wanting to come forward as I watched him. Sora honestly looked as if he was worried about something, but couldn't quite place it, despite his efforts. I then glanced to Kairi, who smiled and reached for him, cupping his cheek and giving him a kiss as she assured him by trailing her fingers through his hair and placing a gentle kiss to his lips once more.

"It'll be alright, we're strong...we've overcome obstacles before, and we can do it with this one, too. Just keep your head held high, okay...Sora?" she said.

"Okay, we better get ready. Riku's probably already downstairs waiting on us." she nodded.

"Yea, come on..."

With that, I left to head downstairs, and as I did, I decided there was someone I needed to speak with: Master Yen Sid.

 **{Disney Castle Courtyard: 8:19am}**

Heading down to the courtyard – where I was informed by Chip'n Dale he would be at – I had a few reservations, and that only was because I had never actually spoken to Master Yen Sid alone before. Taking that into account, he might find the topic of which I wanted to speak with him about quite strange; however, I needed some answers given to me that could at least ease my tension. Still, there was another problem I had to address, and that was figuring out how to ask my questions to where it didn't sound intrusive or rude to him. Master Yen Sid was known for being strict about his manners, and he expected people to be polite, but I supposed it was in good meaning only because of the era of which Master Yen Sid must have lived in.

As I turned a corner, I saw the person I was looking for standing near a pond and looking decidedly calm as he watched the petals from the weeping cherry trees slowly fall and occasionally slip down into the clear water that reflected the sky above. I wanted to be blunt and just speak about what was bothering me, but I remained quiet as I walked up to him and joined him in watching the pond and the garden. I glanced down at my reflection, finding my own image strange in the pretense of my current life. Sora may have been the one who was changed the most out of all of us, but he wasn't the only one. Kairi had changed, becoming stronger and more capable of defending herself and protecting the ones she loved, and then, there was myself. I had become different as well, and most people wouldn't relate the present me to my past personality.

I was a lot more compassionate towards the people I knew, and I was much more open and willing to accept things as they were, compared to in the past. I was older, and I needed to be calmer, prepared, and much more capable of helping those who were younger than me: _not that Sora or Kairi couldn't handle themselves._

"Is there something you wish to speak to me about, Master Riku?" I heard Master Yen Sid inquire this from me, and I took in a deep breath.

"To be honest, I don't know," I said as I looked down at the water in questioning.

"Does this, perhaps, pertain to Master Sora?" I thought carefully how to go about this and nodded slowly.

"I think it does...this is something I need to ask you about," I stated while attempting to choose my words carefully.

"I see, then please inform me of what seems to be the problem..." I took in a deep breath and then glanced towards Master Yen Sid.

"I have a few things to talk about, really. First, I wanted to ask if you've noticed any oddities with Sora," I asked him.

"Oddities? I am afraid that I am not aware of such complications..." I shook my head.

"It's not anything from the Dream Drop, he's...acting strange with Kairi...biting her, and behaving more possessive with her..." I saw the Wizard raise an eyebrow before giving me an appraising look.

"I believe that is what the youth today call attraction of the intimate kind..." I felt warmth spread to my cheeks before I coughed a bit.

"I didn't mean it like that..." Master Yen Sid smiled.

"They love one another, Master Riku. They're Heart Sake, soulmates, if they feel comfortable with one another in such a manner, we cannot truly tell them to do otherwise. Regardless, we must allow youths such as yourself, Master Sora, and Princess Kairi to follow your own hearts, write your own stories, and find your paths on your own time. It does not do well to shroud a youth in a protective shield...they must stumble, be scarred by the trials of life in order to become stronger. If we do not allow a child to grow of their own accord – with just our hands to guide them to the best of our own abilities – then they shall suffer more than we ever could." I took in Master Yen Sid's words and looked at my right hand.

"Sora bit me this morning," I stated. I heard a faint laugh.

"If one makes a jab at a wolf while it is sleeping, one must be prepared for it to bear its fangs." I sighed, knowing that Sora did tend to act rather violently when he was abruptly woken up in the morning, but decided to leave the topic be at that.

"I guess so...um...there is something else I need to ask..." the area around us grew almost uncomfortably quiet as I glanced towards the wizard once more, and then looked back down at the water.

"And what may that be, Master Riku?" I took in a steady breath and looked to the side.

"How did you know Sora's father?" I asked. It was only half of the question I wanted to ask; however, I knew it would be better for me to merely wait until the time was right to ask the other questions – _if that moment ever came._

"Ah, I see that you have overheard some things. If you will, Master Riku, indulge me a bit. Why is it that you wish to know?" I glanced down.

"Because I wanted to see if I could find out a bit more on what kind of secret all of you are keeping from us," I stated. I knew very well that he may choose not to answer me, but I had to know what was happening and why so many people seemed to not be saying something vital.

"I am afraid that I cannot tell you much, Master Riku, for you see...myself and a few others swore not to speak of it until time came. It was a promise we made many moons ago. I hope you will not hold it against us...however, on the subject of Sora's father..." I turned my attention to him.

"Yes?" I asked.

"I did know him, and we were on quite friendly terms, but it was quite some time ago that I met him and befriended him. Still, I do not believe that you are in the correct means to understand what is truly happening. Master Riku, I am aware you are Sora's Dream Eater and also a Keyblade Master, still...you need to be there for Master Sora, and Princess Kairi. Unfortunately, informing you that I knew Master Sora's father is all I can inform you of now." I frowned.

"Can you really tell me nothing else?" I questioned. Master Yen Sid then looked to me, granting me a small smile as he did so.

"The only other detail I can divulge is that, indeed...Master Sora is his father's son."

I wanted so greatly to tell him that the things he'd told me weren't enough; however, I knew better. Master Yen Sid kept secrets, we all knew that very well, but we also knew that many times, it was done for a good reason. I trusted the wizard enough to know that when he said that it wasn't time to know such details, it truly wasn't time, and that we needed to be patient. Taking that into account, I decided not to probe further into the information he had given me about him knowing Sora's father and thanked him before departing from the garden to the dining hall, where I knew by now, Sora, and Kairi would be present.

 **{Dining Hall: 8:32am}**

Sure enough, Sora and Kairi were already seated, talking with one another as Chip'n Dale headed along the table, gathering their food for the day before heading off down the hallway and out towards the Gummi Ship Hanger. I sighed, settling in a chair across from Sora, and Kairi before looking at the plate waiting for me. Breakfast was simple, eggs, bacon, toast, fruit, and things of that nature – all of which were fine for us, but wasn't something we were used to.

Having grown up on the islands, we were used to fresh seafood, ripe fruits, rich grains of rice, and soups that varied in ingredients. Having grown up on those things meant eating something different was a bit of an oddity, but knowing that, I merely smiled, and looked to Sora, who replied to something Kairi said, and then I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from saying something to him about the fact that Kairi was almost done with her meal and he'd barely touched his.

"Sora? How long have the two of you been here?" I asked. He glanced to me, smiling a bit sheepishly.

"Twenty or so minutes..." I frowned.

"Why aren't you eating?" I questioned as I gave him a disapproving look. He averted his eyes, knowing full well that his habit of not eating enough was never given a bypass when any of us were around. Himitsu would have my head if I didn't make sure Sora didn't fall into any of his bizarre habits.

"I'm just not that hungry...well...not as much as I thought I was, at least.." he picked at the bacon, eating a few bites of it to appease me, but I wasn't going to ease up on it.

"Sora, you know what your mother would say," I stated as he looked down.

"I know...that I should eat better or I'll ruin my health. I'm aware of it...but I just..." he sat his fork down, looking away from both myself and Kairi as he tried to fathom what to do.

"You don't have to worry...if you aren't hungry, that's fine," Kairi assured him, but I could only frown.

"Try to at least eat something, okay? You need to...we don't need you falling out on us during this mission..." I saw him nod, briefly looking pale, which caused me to feel nothing short of concerned.

"Why are you suddenly white as a ghost?" I asked.

"Listen, I...never said anything about this...but I've been...having these dreams...about this person..." I raised an eyebrow, as did Kairi.

"What are you talking about?" Kairi asked him, and I gave him an imploring look.

"Since before you guys found me back in January...I had started having dreams about this boy...we would talk, and we seemed to have become friends...we went through different parts of the world he was in, walking around...but...one day...I came and saw him, and he just didn't remember me..." we listened, and I felt tension rise within me.

"So, what did this have to do with you suddenly not feeling well?" I asked.

"I get the feeling that I'm going to run into him while we're there...in Twilight Town..." Kairi and I looked to one another.

"Do you remember his name?" I questioned. Sky-blue eyes glanced down, and then mere moments later, he looked to me.

"Roxas...his name is Roxas..."

Sora told me this boy's name, and then he went on to describe him. He had blonde hair, ocean-blue eyes, and was roughly the same height as himself, if not just a bit taller. He always wore a silver X-shaped kunai-styled pendant that a girl he liked had gotten him, and he was a bright, jovial person. Personally, the description and details that Sora mentioned about this person told me clearly that this was a real human being, not someone he made up or just dreamed about. Taking that into account, I merely nodded my head and looked to Sora, who smiled a bit and sighed a bit.

"You don't believe me, do you?" he asked.

"No, actually, I do. The problem is, I don't know whether to believe that you'll find him in Twilight Town or not..." he looked down.

"I know, but...just call it a gut feeling," he said while Kairi reached forward, grasping his hand that was rested upon the table and then kissed his cheek.

"We'll just have to wait and see, won't we?" I smiled, and Sora gave us a small, returned one.

"Yea, I guess so..."

 **{Wielder's Wing: 7:01pm}**

The day had gone by swiftly, and now we were preparing for our departure. I took in a deep breath and looked at the clothing lying on the bed from the Three Good Fairies. It was similar to the clothing I wore recently during the events of the Dream Drop, and it consisted of a simple black shirt, a white vest with the Dream Eater symbol on the back of it, a pair of dark wash jeans – or what seemed to be jeans – and white and black sneakers with black laces. Nodding my head a bit, I folded the clothes and set them on the dresser, knowing that we had to leave around four in the morning, and the three of us needed to get sleep before we left. It was as I had started to set aside the last few things I needed that I heard a knock at my door and sighed before I walked over and opened the door to see Sora standing there, looking decidedly uncomfortable about something.

"Sora?" he glanced up.

"Um...can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked. I nodded and let him in before closing the door behind him.

"Is something wrong?" he looked around the room and then glanced me over.

"Not really...I just get a feeling that a lot of things are about to change...like we're on a collision course with fate that's going to alter our lives even further..." I took in a deep breath, knowing that his senses were hardly ever wrong.

Since we were little, I had known that Sora was keen on details and hyper-aware about things; however, I knew that Sora also had an unnaturally keen sense of other's emotions, as well as the changes in the energy around everything. Typically, this just made him become quiet and introverted, but I knew – as I had been told by Kairi from the time just before the Dream Drop – that if Sora was voicing his concerns about something changing, then we needed to be concerned. Knowing that and realizing his duress, I looked him over and took in a deep breath as I settled my hands upon his shoulders.

"Sora, you need to remain calm and keep a level head, okay? Listen, whatever is coming, we can't stop it, but we can try and prepare for it...right?" I stated as I kept my eyes on him.

"Yea...it's just..." I took a moment to look him over and frowned.

"There's more to it than just a few simple changes, isn't there? You're getting the sense that something's going to really send us through hell...aren't you?" I watched him look down and felt nothing short of confirmation in the expression he wore.

"Riku...we've got a lot coming our way, and unfortunately, the path we're on isn't going to get easier...we knew that before we took the Mark of Mastery exam...but...Riku? There's more coming our way...and it's going to be harder than before," he told me.

"Well, we've been through a lot, right? I call that experience, and I think that means we can do this, we just have to keep our heads held high. Okay?" A smile graced his features as I did my best to ease his discomfort.

"I get the feeling we're in for one hell of an adventure," Sora told me.

"So what else is new?" he smiled again and nodded his head.

"Right, thanks...Riku..." I shrugged.

"Any time, but speaking of time...we need to get some sleep if we're getting up at four in the morning, and we have to deal with all this psychotic crap involved with aligning the Star-Shard," I stated.

"Yea, I'm not looking forward to that...but...I'll see you in a few hours."

"Alright, see you later," I said as he nodded, smiling once more before he left, and I took in a deep breath. Sometimes being a Dream Eater was rougher than most would think, because I could almost always tell when Sora needed me – at least to a degree – but I decided to put my slight concerns to rest and try and sleep for the time being.

"Everything will work out how it's supposed to...it's just going to be a bit difficult at times…"

 **{….}**

 _I'll break right through the irony..._

 **{…...}**

Author's Note: In the next chapter, we'll be getting Sora, Riku, and Kairi to Twilight Town, and we'll be switching out for narrative instead of character point of view. I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far! Let me know what you think!

Preview:

"I think I hate Star-Shards..."

"What do you want?"

"Well, we're here...no turning back now."

Chapter 9: A Master's Responsibilities


	9. Day 9: A Master's Responsibilities

Day 9: A Master's Responsibilities

 **{Disney Castle: August 21st 2013, 4:30am}**

"Riku, a little to the left..."

Sora was currently settled upon Riku's shoulders, balancing carefully as he held up the Star-Shard to try and angle it the right way and allow the star that was Twilight Town to align with it; thus far, they hadn't been successful. Kairi was settled upon the steps of the castle's front entrance, watching the two boys try and figure out how to work the Star-Shard. Needless to say, she was beginning to wonder if they would ever manage to connect the crystal-looking star shape to the star that symbolized Twilight Town and arrive there. Taking in a deep breath, Kairi looked herself over and glanced to her backpack, which was settled upon the stairs next to Sora's and Riku's.

It didn't have much more than a few changes of clothes so not to raise any questions if possible, but it also meant there was a chance they'd be gone for longer than five days.

That morning, Kairi had felt a bit tense – almost as if something was going to happen soon – and it had doubled when she'd gone to her dresser, where a pair of clothes had been laid out for her. It was a simple pair of black knee-length shorts, a white undershirt with short sleeves, and a sleeveless pink jacket with a hood on it. Her shoes were black ankle boots with pink straps that had silver buckles and white lining on them with matching laces. In addition, she had been given a pair of black gloves with pink stitching and white leather clasps that favored her cheaper, less durable ones. She had dressed and put a hair tie on her wrist while her gloves remained in a singular, small side pouch that had a connector to it, like her black one did except this one was white. Now she was dressed and ready to go, but both boys were still somewhat having issues with the Star-Shard.

"You know, I think I hate Star-Shards," Riku said.

"You and me both!"

Kairi smiled as she looked the two boys over, eyeing the new attire they were given as well. Riku had dressed in a pair of dark wash jeans, a black t-shirt, a white vest with the Dream Eater symbol on the back, and white and black sneakers with black laces. He had also been granted a pair of gloves, but his were more than likely in his pocket. Kairi had seen them earlier when he was looking them over. They were gray, stitched with yellow, and had an open area latch at the tops of them with a leather band circling the center. It suited Riku, but it, like her own, differed greatly from Sora's attire. His was mostly black with dark blue on the inner sides of his legs on his pants, they were white lined, and bore yellow straps across his upper-thighs, and hips which had two red pouches on the sides that bore black X-shape straps, and he also wore deep blue belt, a blackish-blue shirt with white lining, red pockets, and a V-neck lined in white.

He wore a half-jacket that had white lining on it, a zipper at the front, yellow straps, and armor at the shoulders that finished off with a hood. His gloves carried over the color scheme, having been dark blackish-blue with yellow straps at the wrists, a white X at the tops, and a leather set at the knuckles with silver-toned bolts. Lastly were his shoes, yellow at the tops, zippers, dark blue straps that formed X shapes, and black soles with black top-half, and naturally, the boy wore his crown pendant.

"Any luck yet?" Riku asked as Sora tried one last time to line up the Star-Shard.

"Nope...I think Twilight Town is shifting..." Kairi looked the boys over and Riku sighed.

"At least you aren't heavy," he said as he shifted his grasp upon the boy's legs.

"Hey! Stop gripping my ankles that tight, it kind of hurts..."

"Then how about this?" Riku gripped the boy's thigh just above the knee, causing him to squirm.

"Ah! Hey! Let me go!" the silver-haired teen frowned.

"What's the matter Sora? Ticklish?" the chestnut-haired teenager narrowed his eyes and promptly kicked the other in the ribs.

"Let...me…go! _Now!_ " the growl caused Riku to crouch and Sora to climb down before stretching a bit as Riku frowned.

"I was joking, okay? No need to get violent," Riku stated as Sora gave him a passive look.

"I'm really annoyed with this stupid thing! How does it even fucking line up to a damn star?" Sora looked at the star-shaped crystal in his hand, and Kairi stood up and came to him.

"Well, have you tried aligning it to the right a little?" she suggested. Sora looked to it and moved towards one of the statues nearby that had a bit of room on the podium it was standing upon and jumped atop it before closing one eye to use the scope on the other to his advantage as he held the Star-Shard up, and moments later, it lit up almost as if the sun had hit it.

"Yes! Kairi! You're a genius!" Sora hopped down and picked the girl up, swinging her before placing a kiss to her cheek.

"Alright, lovebirds, we gotta get on that path, it's opening up," Riku said as the Star-Shard gleamed once again, as if to remind Sora and Kairi that it was ready to go.

"Get your backpacks..." the trio looked to see Donald and Goofy present as they held up their backpacks.

"Thanks, guys," Sora said as he grabbed the dark blue and black backpack from Goofy, who smiled and gave him a swift hug before Donald joined.

"You can handle this, Sora, you've been through enough of these worlds to guide everyone where they need to go..." the chestnut-haired teenager smiled.

"Yea, we'll be okay, don't worry," he replied as he stepped back and let Kairi get her pink backpack while Riku grabbed the faded yellow one.

"But, um...why did the two of you come?" the Captain of the Knights and the Court Magician looked to one another momentarily.

"We're here to do our jobs, and see Master Sora off with Master Riku and Princess Kairi," said Donald.

"Guys...you don't have to call us by our titles..." Sora felt anxiety knot in his stomach.

"You know that we have to when we're preparing for you to depart on missions – it's proper..." Sora rolled his eyes.

"Who cares if it's proper or whatever! You're my friends, and I don't want them calling me Master or any other title – just Sora, that's what my friends get to call me. As far as I'm concerned, you two and everyone else in this castle are more than just friends – you're family. So none of this Master Sora, Master Riku, and Princess Kairi stuff!" he said.

"We have to, it's traditional and it's what's expected of us..." Sora narrowed his eyes.

"Fine, then as a Master, I forbid you from calling me anything but Sora," he said with a calm expression.

"But! You can't just..."

"Another rule is to obey the orders of a Master...if you break that law, Master Yen Sid could get on your cases," Riku said. Donald and Goofy took in a deep breath and looked at the chestnut-haired sixteen-year-old.

"We never could make you do something ya didn' want to..."

"Gwarsh, I guess we got no choice now..." said Goofy as he looked to Donald while Sora smiled.

"The same goes for Riku and Kairi as well – no titles...besides..." the two looked to the boy, who gave them a knowing look.

"What?" asked Donald.

"You know that we don't care about all that. Family has no need to give one another stations of status – and we're all here together, we're family...that's what matters." the two gave Sora a long look and smiled.

"Thanks, Sora..." the boy nodded and adjusted his backpack like the others.

"Well, we're off...see you guys in five days," Sora stated as he stepped towards the disk of stone in the courtyard with Riku and Kairi before the Star-Shard swept them away in a torrent of light.

"Ya know what, Donald?" the Court Magician looked to the Captain of the Knights.

"What, Goofy?" the shield-wielder looked to the Mage.

"It feels kinda weird not goin' with Sora..." he stated.

"I know..." a few steps appeared behind them, and they turned their attention towards the stairs of the castle.

"Master Sora will be fine. After all, he has Master Riku and Princess Kairi to aid him," said Master Yen Sid.

"Oh, sorry, sir, we only..." the man shook his head.

"Not at all. One often wishes for simpler days; however, I believe there are others who need your assistance within the Castle..." Donald and Goofy looked to one another.

"AH! I forgot! Huey, Dewey, and Louie are coming to help me out today!" Donald said as he bowed to Master Yen Sid and took off.

"And Maxie's comin' for a visit so I can help him prepare for his first exam practical..." Goofy followed Donald's bow and left as well, while Master Yen Sid smiled and looked to the stars.

"Watch over them, please..."

 **{Dream World: Unknown Time}**

 _Wind rushed around him, pulling in a warm summer breeze which ruffled his hair and clothes as silence filled the area that he stood in. It was as he felt his senses slowly come back to him that he chose to open his eyes. Ocean-blue irises looked around, observing the cobblestone, the warm brown and copper tones of his home town. The warmth of the sunset ghosted over his skin alongside the scent of salt in the air from the harbor. As Roxas stood there though, the hollow howl of the wind echoed through the town's barren streets and empty houses as a creeping chill settled upon him while he stared onward at the world around him – void of all life except for himself._

 _"W-What's happening?" Roxas asked himself as he looked around and tried to figure out where he was in the town. As he did, he realized he was in the town square, only a few minutes from his house._

 _ **"This world has been connected...tied...unto..."**_

 _"Hello?! Is anyone out there?" Roxas called as he started walking._

 _ **"The Darkness...for it has come...to find..."**_

 _"NAMINE! HAYNER! PENCE! OLETTE!" Roxas yelled out to them and found himself hearing nothing but his own voice echo back to him._

 _ **"You...Bearer of the Keyblade!"**_

 _The lights went out, the sun went dark and the moon appeared bleak and blaring red against the black sky. Ocean-blue eyes looked around as the world around him turned bloodstained, and amidst the red light that shone down upon him, shadows began to move. Roxas ran, he kept himself focused and ran to his home, doing his hardest to make it to safety – if that was possible._

 _ **"We're coming to get you..."**_

 _"NAMINE! HAYNER! PENCE! OLETTE! PLEASE, ANSWER ME, SOMEBODY!"_

 _Roxas turned a corner and lost his footing as he slid across the rough stone ground and down a slope. He stopped rolling and felt the burning pain of the cuts along his arms, legs, and sides as he forced himself to his feet and kept running, blood drops falling to the stone ground as he kept running while he felt the sense of something coming for him, and something told him not to look behind him. Taking the feeling into account, Roxas started running faster, the sweeping, billowing sound of thick cloak-like fabric meeting his ears as he kept running, his lungs burning as he struggled to outrun the monster he knew was behind him._

 _ **"And we shall snuff out the Light and the untainted Darkness, and all the purity in the world..."**_

 _"Someone...please..." Roxas kept running._

 _ **"We shall devour your flesh, drain your blood, shatter your bones, destroy your heart, and mutilate your soul...coming for you...Bearer of the Keyblade...defender of the disgusting Light..."**_

 _"SOMEONE! PLEASE! ANSWER ME!" he screamed loudly as he tried to keep running, and then he heard the scratching billowing noise behind him, and froze._

 _ **"Child...let me take you...let me devour you...let me...ruin you..."**_

 _Roxas's eyes grew wide as he felt spindly, slimy fingers coil around his throat and twist him around, forcing his eyes to look upon the ghastly sight of a rotting corpse with black sockets for eyes and gnarled teeth that had been sharpened crudely into points. Its fingernails, jagged and long, scraped across his flesh as it looked him over, its ratty black cloak and silver chains causing it to look more skeletal than it should have. It was pure darkness, the most evil, vile, disgusting thing that he had ever laid eyes upon and he was terrified. It drew closer, pulling him towards it as he felt his heart hammering against his ribs._

 _ **"Where is it? Where is the Light? You aid it...that vile, evil boy...give me him! I will devour his radiance, his purity! Kill it, crush it! You hide the wicked boy!"**_

 _"L-Let me go! I don't know what you're talking about!" Roxas said as he felt the hand tighten upon his throat._

 _ **"Tell me where the boy is! Or I will devour your Light, I will...l-let me...let me consume your Light, let me starve you of radiance, let me strip you of purity...let me ruin you in blackness!"**_

 _An overwhelming sense of terror came over him as the monster threw him to the ground and was suddenly hovering above him, opening its ragged jaw wide, displaying the sharp, jagged teeth in full view as he felt his lungs tense and mere seconds later, Roxas was screaming as the monster raked its claws across his arm and blood was drawn._

 _ **"I will ruin your soul...crush your heart...break your pure Light..."**_

 _"SOMEBODY HELP ME!"_

 _It was in that instant that blinding light appeared and the monster screamed, recoiling as someone came towards them in a pace so impossibly fast that he missed the impact of the person crashing into the creature as it wailed in agony. Roxas sat up and looked up to see a familiar figure standing between him and the vile monster that had attacked him. Ocean-blue eyes took in the sight of familiar messy, chestnut-colored hair, dark-colored clothes with areas of yellow, and armor at the shoulders, in the person's grasp a large key of jet black with a sapphire in the connector, a chain in the center with bat wings to make up the guard, and dragon scales at the grip. A black crown connected to an equally black chain clinked before the person turned sharp sky-blue eyes upon the beast._

 _"Keep your hands off him!"_

 _ **"You! Monster!"**_

 _"You're one to talk...you have no place here! This world belongs to the Light, and so does Roxas!"_

 _ **"You will fall to Darkness! We shall destroy you and your Radiance!"**_

 _"YOU'RE NOT WELCOME HERE! YOU HOLD NO POWER!" a flash of light appeared from the Keyblade and the monster fled, screaming in pain as it left._

 _Roxas stared onward at the sight of the chestnut-haired youth before the boy turned to him, and slowly the entire area became peaceful again. The sun rose once more, the town – though it remained empty – seemed to have regained its warmth and tranquility. Sky-blue eyes looked to ocean-blue ones and the other boy slowly swallowed, having not realized that his eyes were welled with tears._

 _"Are you okay?" the boy asked as he crouched down in front of him._

 _"I-I..." Roxas put his hand over his arm and blinked, causing the tears to fall._

 _"You're alright now, I've got you," he said as he put his hand upon his shoulder._

 **{Twilight Town: August 21st 2013, 8:15am: Roxas's Home}**

Roxas jolted from his sleep, causing him to sit bolt up in bed as he took in a series of deep breaths, panic flooding his veins as he tried to shake the image of the darkness from his mind while looking frantically around the room. It was as he took in a few deep breaths and realized that he wasn't in the nightmare world with its red moon and the barren, haunted streets of the abandoned Twilight Town, but in his home, safe, and within his real hometown that he calmed down and was able to slowly get himself up and walk to the bathroom to get a quick shower before he would go and meet the others for breakfast at the cafe near his home.

"That dream...and him again..." Roxas rubbed his eyes as he turned the shower on and tugged off his shirt that he recalled something and swiftly walked back towards the bedroom, where he grabbed his journal off the bedside table and began writing down the dream he had just had with vivid detail. It took him only a few minutes for him to write the entire dream down, but once he did, he put the words of the monster down and wrote a note for himself at the bottom

 _"What or who is the Light that monster wanted? And what was my connection to it?"_

With that done, Roxas went back to the bathroom, showered, dressed, brushed his teeth, and then looked back at his dream journal and grabbed his wallet, phone, and keys before taking note that he needed to get another journal, due to him having just filled up the last two pages of it. Sighing, he headed out the door and down the street, where he hoped his day would go smoothly. He had quite the day ahead of him after all: looking for the Seven Wonders of Twilight Town for his group summer project.

However, there was a problem with some of the investigations they would have to do: it involved Seifer and his gang. While Roxas didn't have a great deal of problems with siblings Rajin and Fujin, and he even liked the little person known as Vivi, he wasn't overly fond of Seifer, for the mere reason that he was arrogant and thought himself the strongest of the group, when he reality, he wasn't. His vanity seemed to get the best of him, despite his efforts to impress the silver-blue haired, red-eyed girl known as Fujin. It was no secret that the blonde liked her – even to her bigger, muscular, older brother Rajin – but if he wanted to get his friend-to-be-girlfriend to like him back, he needed a different approach. Shaking his head, Roxas continued down the street and finally made it to the cafe that he was supposed to meet the others at. Walking in the door, he was quick to spot Namine and the others and approached them with a smile upon his face.

"Well, someone looks chipper this morning," said Hayner as he looked to Roxas he sat down at the table next to Namine.

"I slept well..." the blonde girl next to him frowned as she continued to draw in her sketchbook.

"But you had a nightmare, right?" she inquired as she brushed her hand across the drawing.

"How did you..." Namine sat down the book and looked to him as he stared at a drawing of the monster in his dreams, hovering over his form in the drawing, blood spilling from his arm where it had scratched him.

"I saw your nightmare last night..." the others at the table went deathly still.

"Nami..." she shook her head.

"I know you don't want to worry us, and I understand...but...Roxas, that kind of dream..." Roxas brushed his arm, feeling the burn of the monster's claws on his flesh.

"That's one nasty-looking thing," said Pence.

"Yea...try facing it..." Namine looked to Roxas.

"But he stopped it, didn't he?" she questioned.

"He did, but that's not all...I remembered something about him..." the group looked to him in questioning as Namine flipped her pages, showing the progression of the chestnut-haired boy stepping between Roxas and the monster and forcing it away with light before he was shown crouching down and placing his hand upon Roxas's shoulder in a comforting manner. The last page Namine had done was colored, unlike the others – minus the first one – and showed the boy's face from his point of view. It showed his messy, chestnut-hair, his gentle features, his concern, and his sharp, piercing blue eyes

"What did you remember?" asked Olette.

"His name..." the group grew closer, curious.

"And his name is?" the boy looked to them and then at the picture.

"Sora, his name is Sora."

 **{Twilight Town Outskirts: 9:10am}**

A blue portal opened, and instantly, three figures were thrown from it. The first to tumble out was a chestnut-haired boy who cut a flip mid-way and landed flat on his back, followed swiftly by a red-haired girl who also was tossed from the portal and directly into the arms of the other boy, who had just sat up. Finally, the silver-haired teenager near them was slung from the portal, landing only a few inches from the other two, who seemed slightly dazed by the fact that they had just been thrown a good ten feet in the air by the blue portal of the Star-Shard. Taking in a few deep breaths, Sora sat up, Kairi still in his lap as she got her bearings from the sudden vertigo that the portal's toss gave them both, as Riku sat bolt up and shot a rather nasty-looking glare at the portal while he rubbed the sore spot on his head.

"That was the most ill-timed, uncomfortable, ridiculous situation I have been in yet," Riku stated while Sora looked him over.

"At least you didn't have to climb into a tea cup... _or a book_..." Kairi looked to Sora, who slowly got up and helped her to her feet as they looked around.

"Where are we?" she asked.

"In the outskirts, it looks like..." eyeing the area they were in, Sora noticed it was the front courtyard of a rather large and extravagant mansion, its grandeur still evident even with its wasted and withered appearance due to its age. There were busted, broken, and vine-covered columns in rows before them. The shrubbery was overgrown, the gate was black iron but rusted, the once-lovely estate grounds were in disarray, and while Sora, Riku, and Kairi could see that, they also could tell that it was still quite fascinating.

"I guess we should find the path and..." Sora trailed off as he looked at the area and then to the mansion.

Sky-blue eyes scanned the front of the mansion and the crest engraved atop it. At first it seemed to be a bell tower of some kind; however, the more he looked at it, the more it changed, and soon it had altered itself into something else entirely. The carving altered until it was in the shape of a crossed Kunai knife set with a curled scroll working around it in the form of laurel leaves. Sora blinked and shook his head a bit before looking to the carving again, but found it back to the bell tower. Taking in a deep breath, Sora turned his attention back towards Kairi and Riku, who seemed slightly concerned by his sudden daze. A faint pulse came from his heart, pain thrumming momentarily through his body as he placed a hand upon his chest.

"Sora? Are you okay?" Riku asked.

"Hmm? Yea, I'm okay...just...thinking...and...I think one of the hearts..." Kairi looked him over.

"It knows this place...doesn't it?" he looked down.

"I think so...which one, I don't know..." Riku eyed him, questioning clear in his expression.

"Maybe it's Ventus..." Sora looked to him.

"Oh, right...maybe..." Kairi smiled as she came towards him and placed a hand upon his shoulder.

"Sora, don't worry about it too much. Let's just get out of this area and go into the town," she said.

"Alright...let's go..." with that, the trio walked out the gates of the mansion and down a trail that seemed worn down through the tall shrubs and into the forest, hoping to find the path that would lead them into Twilight Town.

 **{…..}**

 _Enlighten me..._

 **{…...}**

 **Author's Note:** Sorry that there haven't been any updates recently. I have no internet at my house and work has become hectic, but I'm trying to stockpile these chapters so I can give you guys a big update soon.

In the next chapter, we'll be inside Twilight Town and get into the main portion of this story. For those of you who read the original story, you'd know that by this point we were almost done with the story; however, the Final Mix for this story is around 21 chapters so we can flesh this out more and expand upon the story a bit more so that when you get into the title that follows this story, you'll be able to understand some of the changes made.

Also, to those who are waiting for Kingdom Hearts: Genesis to be updated: until this story is complete, there will be no further updates. But don't worry, that just means that once this one is finished, you should expect a mass update of at least one if not two worlds. That will be the Hercules World and then Traverse Town, and finally Agrabah.

Preview:

"Memo to me...never again!"

"As far as I can tell this is a pretty big town,

"N-Namine...it's him...is he really..."

Chapter 10: Twilight


	10. Day 10: Twilight

Day 10: Twilight

 **{Twilight Town: August 21st 2013, 2:15pm}**

Roxas took in a heavy breath as he laid on the ground in the park with the others near him in an equally exhausted state. They had spent the day inspecting each and every one of the Seven Wonders of their town and now were utterly spent. Roxas glanced towards Namine who blew her sweat-matted bangs from her forehead and then looked at the others, who were just as worn down. Hayner sat up, feeling his arms shake as he tried to will himself to move again. Pence refused to move, and Olette took in a series of shaky breaths before turning her attention to the others as Roxas laid his arms out at his sides as he let out a deep huff.

"God..." muttered Namine.

"Memo to me...never again!" Roxas said as the others nodded.

"You gonna make it?" the blonde looked to Pence.

"Those freaking stone orbs took it out of me..." Hayner shook his head in agreement.

"And that last wonder wasn't what I would call wonderful," he said.

"So, what can we say about the Seven Wonders?" everyone looked each other in the eye.

"In a word..."

"They need to remain wonders..." they all said.

Roxas sat up and took in a deep breath once more as he looked at the sunset-colored sky before groaning as he laid back against the ground. Namine raised her hand and looked at her watch before forcing herself off the ground.

"Who's up for an early dinner?" she asked.

"Sounds good to me. What about that deli near the bookstore?" Roxas nodded, remembering the journal from that morning.

"I need to stop by the bookstore anyways," he stated.

"Why? Something you wanna look for?" he shook his head.

"I need a new dream journal...I filled out the last page in mine today..." Olette smiled.

"I guess you're writing a lot, aren't you?" she asked as they started walking towards the town again.

"Yea...lately the dreams are a lot easier to recall, you know what I mean? Like their importance has gotten greater." Namine smiled and took his hand.

"Then we need to make sure you have a means to write. I think the bookstore is nearby and so is the cafe," she stated. Roxas nodded.

"Sounds good to me."

The group walked along the street, discussing the Seven Wonders of their town in depth to prepare for their project to be put together as they continued towards the bookstore, while Roxas's mind wandered faintly towards the dream he had that morning and how it had forced a name to come forth. He remembered the boy's name at long last and finally had something to call him by. The chestnut-haired, sky-blue-eyed boy that he kept having dreams of was named Sora, and the fact that he was now able to remember that key detail gave him some hope that in time he would remember more about him and possibly be able to finally recall where he had met the boy the first time.

As their walk continued down towards the bookstore, three figures came out of the trees behind them, looking around as they attempted to sort themselves and find where they were in the town. Roxas felt a sudden urge to turn around; however, he was stopped when Hayner and Pence made a statement about perhaps getting a leather-bound journal instead of a paper one to better protect the information within it. The sensation that he needed to turn around died out almost as quickly as it came while they continued down the road, while not far behind them, three rather unusual people were looking around.

"As far as I can tell, this is a pretty big town," Riku said as he looked at the buildings, the park, and the stores lining the streets.

"It kind of reminds me of Traverse Town, with the cobblestone and brick..." Sora glanced towards the area surrounding them in curiosity while Kairi took in the warm sunset and the sound of the ocean not far from them as a gentle wind carried through the town.

"It's pretty...seems peaceful, too," she stated.

"The problem is that places this peaceful rarely are. There have already been Heartless here, which means that the Darkness that Organization Thirteen and Xehanort have been spreading is already infecting this world..." Sora's sky-blue eyes caught the light of the setting sun, turning them a deep blue-violet tone.

"Well I guess right now, our biggest concern is finding these Keyblade Wielders," Riku told the other two.

"Another problem will be finding somewhere to sleep and getting something to eat..." Kairi looked around and spotted a clock tower nearby, which allowed her to see the time.

"It's nearly three in the afternoon," she said.

"Then I guess a late lunch, and then a questioning session with a few locals should divulge where we can find somewhere to sleep for the night." Sora looked to Kairi as Riku fell into place alongside them, blending in as best they could.

"I'm wondering something..." Riku looked to Sora and Kairi, who returned the expression.

"What?" asked Sora.

"Don't these clothes make us look weird?" he received a shake of the other boy's head.

"No, because most people don't even look at us weird because we're a bunch of teenagers – they think this is just how we dress...or that we're performers and these are costumes," he said.

"Oh...alright...anyways, got any ideas of where we can try and find a place to stay?" sky-blue eyes looked around.

"Well, there's a bookstore nearby, maybe they'll have a map of the town and we can find a few of the restaurants and the hotels that way," Sora suggested as Riku and Kairi nodded.

"Sounds like a good plan to me."

 **{Bookstore: 3:28pm}**

Roxas scanned the shelves of books for a few moments, passing the time as the others had split up to look around as well, while Namine had went to check for something she had been meaning to read for quite some time. The girl had left him be; however, he found himself rather fine with the others momentarily leaving him alone – it gave him more time to think. Sighing, the blonde continued to look through the shelves, searching for a journal within his price range, but also leather-bound – because Hayner and Pence were right this time. Taking that into account, he had spent the last fifteen minutes searching for the right journal that would work best for him.

Faintly, he could hear Namine and Olette giggling about something near the art section while Hayner was looking through the Stories of Survival section and Pence spent some time in the history section. Roxas rolled his eyes as he shook his head and considered that, under normal circumstances, his friends shouldn't have gotten along with how at odds their personalities were with one another's. Still, he couldn't help but smile at the fact that his utterly psychotic friends were some of the best he could have ever asked for, because instead of stating that he had lost his mind and that his dreams were just that dreams, they had gone the extra mile and talked with him about it, learning that in all honesty, it made sense that this boy he'd had dreams of was a real human being.

 _"That should have sent me straight to the mental institution...let's be honest...normal people would have said I was either crazy or a monster by this point because of all the insane things we've seen and had to go through in the last few days..."_ Wrapped up within his thoughts, Roxas barely registered the sensation of him needing to look towards the entrance of the store.

Sora, Riku, and Kairi had just entered the bookstore to split up and search for the map, taking their time to look around and see if there was anything of information that may be useful – Sora had found a book on Alchemy in a bookstore once in Disney Town, which compelled the three of them to check through one of the stores whenever they were granted the chance, just in case – this led to Kairi going towards the left side of the store, Riku to the right, and Sora went straight ahead, seeking out anything that would tell him where the maps were located. On any normal occasion, Sora would be happy to be inside a bookstore, getting to see the differences in each one that a new world had to offer; however, this wasn't a normal day, and it most certainly wasn't an average walk through town.

The three of them were on an assignment from King Mickey and Master Yen Sid, which meant their focus had to be on finding these Keyblade Bearers. Sora had an obligation – as did Riku – as a Keyblade Master, which meant that he couldn't afford to merely sit and wait to see what would happen if he just let the Heartless attack. Sky-blue eyes looked around the store, hoping to find a sign that would read maps, but he seemed to be on the unfortunate end of the situation. With a tired huff, Sora continued to walk, looking around the area in hopes of spotting something that would point him in the right direction, and as he turned a corner, he felt something knock into his body, throwing him off balance and onto the ground as he heard a yelp of surprise from the other person.

"Sorry!" a voice said as he heard movement.

"No, it's my fault, I wasn't watch..." sky-blue looked up into ocean-blue.

"W-Wha..." an eyebrow rose.

"Um...are you okay?"

"NAMINE!"

 **{Ten Minutes Prior: Fantasy Section}**

Kairi looked along the lines of books, seeking anything that may give way to further information about the mythos of the world they were in, as well as a sign that told her where the maps could be located. She enjoyed the chance to find something new and learn from it; however, she did wonder what this particular mission would yield, only because of the strange pinching sensation she had in the pit of her stomach. It was the feeling that told her something good yet troublesome would arise from this assignment, and while it made her excited, it terrified her as well.

 _"There's been so much left to chance...I can't help but wonder if...maybe we've run out whatever time there was before Xehanort will attack...or if I'm the only one getting the sense that something really bad is coming?"_

Her thoughts remained constant as she continued to walk and contemplate the events leading up to the present. Her mind recalled the beginning and the destruction, chaos, and unsureness that flooded everything to the point that hope and faith had drowned nearly in a torrent of fear. How Riku had been deceived, how her heart had been stolen from her and had sought safety within Sora, and how Sora – the shy, sweet, innocent child she had always secretly loved – had changed so much. Her mind further wandered from the events of the year Donald, Goofy, King Mickey, and Master Yen Sid had spent desperately searching for Sora, only to find him in a laboratory soundly sleeping before Riku and them had awoken him and learned that Sora had truly become a different person since they'd last seen him.

Kairi frowned as she recalled the ability he had to become so remarkably cold towards people when he grew suspicious of them, and then she also remembered his warm smile and hyperactivity that she had always known Sora to have. Then came the Dream Drop, and she – as well as many others – were left with no choice but to bear battle scars that she knew had no intention of leaving them any time soon. Sora's post-traumatic stress disorder was the very thing that threw her off kilter the most, though. When she had to watch the strong, bright, wonderful, beautiful, incredible person she knew being reduced to a broken, miserable, pained, dim, frail creature that she sometimes could barely recognize. Riku had done his best, she had done her best, and so had everyone else, but ultimately, they had to let Sora recover in his own time and in his own rights, but that didn't make it easier.

Knowing any of those things never made watching his night terrors easier, it never made his screams of fear and pain bearable, and it never had made the look of unbridled panic and trauma easier to swallow. Knowing things when someone you loved was suffering as he did wasn't meant to make it easier so much as it was designed to let you understand that the person needed someone to support them, that they had to have a keystone, that they desperately needed an anchor or they would drown in themselves and their own shadows. Kairi, Riku, King Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Himitsu, Akira, Tadashi, Cloud, Tifa, Squall, Rinoa, Jack, Yui, Master Yen Sid, Oswald, and so many others had become a form of sanctuary for Sora when he couldn't stitch himself back together quick enough to stop the hole within himself from tearing further.

A small smile reached Kairi's features as she continued to walk until she started looking around and caught sight of a blonde girl in a pair of jean shorts, sandals, and a white tank-top. Walking forward, Kairi cleared her throat and was met with a pair of ice-blue eyes. The girl smiled and she returned it before looking her over in faint confusion as something struck her as odd.

"Is everything okay?" the girl asked.

"Yes, sorry. I was wondering if you knew where the maps were in here?" Kairi waited and the girl thought.

"Those are near the journals. I'll take you over, if you're okay with that?" she nodded.

"I'd appreciate it...um..." the blonde frowned a bit.

"I'm sorry...you just seem very familiar," she stated.

"You do, too, if I'm being honest...what's your name?" the girl smiled and held out her hand.

"I'm Namine Olamayne, it's nice to meet you..."

"Kairi Misaki..." the two girls shook hands before a faint image flashed within their minds of two little girls laughing as they picked flowers and berries in a garden with a kindly old lady in deep purples with a knitted shawl across her shoulders and her gray hair up in a bun. The blonde girl, Namine, dropped her hand and looked into the red-haired girl's aquamarine eyes.

"Impossible...Kairi? Is that really you?" Namine asked her. Kairi frowned and then felt realization dawn upon her.

"Nami...oh, my God! Namine!" the red-haired girl wrapped her arms around the blonde as Namine returned it.

"I can't believe it! How are you here?" Namine questioned.

"I'm here with my boyfriend and our childhood friend. We came to Twilight Town to take a break from work...we wanted something kind of laid back and were recommended this town by our boss!" Kairi internally thanked her lucky stars that she had been able to pick up a few tricks on lying from Sora – not that she was certain that was a good thing – as she looked at the girl in front of her.

"I haven't seen you since we were little kids...when dad moved away to the Destiny Islands," Namine said.

"How would we have known we'd meet up like this..." Kairi smile and hugged her sister once again.

"I'm so happy to see you..." the red-haired girl nodded as they held onto one another a moment longer before letting go.

"So, let's go find your friends. I really want to introduce you to my boyfriend and our friends," Namine stated as Kairi nodded.

"Same here, come on, you said you know the way, right?" the blonde shook her head to answer her.

"Sure do; come on, I think Roxas is this way, he was looking for a journal recently," Namine told her sister as they walked down the aisles.

"Roxas?" the blonde laughed a bit, feeling a burst of joy at seeing her sister for the first time since they were two and three.

"He's my boyfriend. You'll like him, he's really sweet," she stated.

"Oh, sounds a lot like..."

"NAMINE!" the scream sounded terrifyingly sharp. The tone used was full of fear and panic to the point that the two girls could not ignore it, and apparently, neither could four other people. Namine recognized Hayner, Pence, and Olette instantly, but couldn't place the silver-haired youth with them.

"Riku!" Kairi felt fear lace through her as Riku glanced in her direction and nodded, both assuming the worst: Heartless.

"Hurry!" Namine said as she rushed quickly towards the area of the maps and journals before a sharp shout of panic filled the air again.

For the first time in quite a while, Namine and the others were, thankful that, for the most part, the bookstore was empty, which made this much easier. Kairi turned around a corner with fear in her eyes as she and the others happened upon the scene of two boys settled upon the floor, both staring at one another in shock. The chestnut-haired boy to the eyes of the others looked spooked, but had remained silent, even though his skin had gone pale and his eyes wide, while the blonde-haired boy was white as a ghost, terror written upon his features, his eyes wide and teary, with a cold sweat broken out across his skin and his mouth slightly parted while his bottom lip trembled in either a scream of fear or a cry of panic.

Namine, Hayner, Pence, and Olette went straight to Roxas, who started back-pedaling at that point, while Kairi and Riku gathered around the other boy that none of them had pinpointed just yet. Riku looked to Sora, who remained quiet, his eyes staring onward at the blonde boy as if he'd just received the strangest surprise of his life. The blonde boy continued to try and get away until the other blonde had no choice but to shake him a bit as he tried to get the boy to snap out of whatever state he was in. Kairi looked to Sora, who shook himself out but remained where he was in an attempt that she knew was meant to not appear threatening before the boy, who had clearly had a near nervous breakdown.

"Roxas! Hey! Rox?! Snap out of it, man!" called Pence as he joined Hayner in shaking him.

"I...I...but he's...in the dreams, and...what..." Roxas's tone stuttered, stumbling and cutting up as Namine shook her head and then turned her attention to her sister.

"Kairi, what..." ice-blue eyes went wide as she stared at the chestnut-haired boy settled between Kairi and the silver-haired boy.

"Namine?" asked Olette.

"Oh, dear lord...it's you!" Namine stood to her feet and the boy jumped up, his body tensing as he tried to pinpoint what she was talking about.

"N-Namine...it's him...is he really..." Roxas shakily stood and shook himself out, trying to maintain a grip upon his sanity as best he could as he looked towards the boy that he had seen in his dreams so many times before.

"Kairi, who are they?" Namine asked. The others looked to her.

"You know the red-haired girl?" their friend nodded.

"Kairi's my sister, I haven't seen her since we were really little," she explained as the two other boys next to her sister seemed to come out of their stupor.

"Whoa, wait...Kairi is your sister?!" the sound of the chestnut-haired boy's voice forced the situation into a sharp reality: this was truly happening, the boy was really there, and they were in the middle of a bookstore with a less than private area around them as they were speaking about a highly personal matter.

"Yes, she is...remember, I said I had a sister I hadn't seen in a long time," Kairi said.

"Oh, right; sorry, Kairi...I forgot..." she smiled.

"I figured...Namine?" the blonde looked to her.

"Yea?" Kairi swallowed a bit thickly.

"Can we go somewhere and try and sort this out peacefully?" she questioned.

"Yep, there's a cafe right next door. We'll go there...I think everyone could use something to eat and something to calm their nerves," she said. Riku nodded.

"That would probably be a good idea..."

 **{…..}**

 _Reveal my fate..._

 **{…...}**

Author's Note: Thank God! Sorry guys, I meant to get this up weeks ago, but I had a bit of a rough spot come along. I was supposed to move, but we weren't sure if it was to an area near us or far away, or if we were going to stay nearby so my siblings could finish the semester at their school, and then something came up and now we aren't going to move just yet but instead wait a bit longer, and the internet is still down at my house, so I have to go to Barnes & Nobles, but I can't go as often as I need to and...ugh!

Anyways, this has been a really busy month, but as you can see, I have a four chapter update for you, so...I hope that by some chance this makes up for it a little bit.

I have decided that I will be updating Genesis, but in Arcs so that you get multiple chapters as we go along. I would have had the Coliseum chapters up ages ago, but I needed to re-watch the Hercules movie and haven't had the time. Sorry, but I will make up for it! Anyway, let me know what you think of the chapters, leave me lots of beautiful reviews, guys, and again, I really am sorry for the delay.

Preview:

"Let's start with an explanation."

"Come stay with me, then."

"So, is this really true?"

"Riku...something's wrong with me..."

Chapter 11: Unexpected


	11. Day 11: Unexpected

Day 11: Unexpected

 **{Cafe Next Door: August 21st 2013, 4:27pm}**

Everyone sat at the table in utter silence, they had ordered their meals, and were now messing with their drinks to pass the awkward silence that had filled the area. Kairi and Namine sat next to their boyfriends while Riku sat on the right hand side of Sora with a stern expression upon his face as he kept his eyes on the others. Olette remained silent but took in the appearances of the three new strangers, while Hayner and Pence sat next to her and Roxas in a hopes of rebuffing the silver-haired teenager's glare; thus far, it hadn't succeeded. Taking in a deep breath, Namine looked to her sister and the girl nodded her head as if to tell her she understood. It was then that she took a sip of her tea and then cleared her throat.

"So, this is going to be a hard conversation..." Hayner glowered at the three across from him.

"I don't like this...things like this don't happen," he said.

"Yea, they do actually, but most people just decide to ignore them." the chestnut-haired youth's laid-back tone caused a glare to appear on Hayner's face.

"Do you want to fight?" a snarky smirk appeared upon the other's lips.

"You couldn't handle me kid, _okay?_ " Riku glanced to the boy before looking towards the others.

"And you would have me to deal with before you would even be able to lay a hand upon him or her," he said.

"Let's not be hostile, okay, guys? We need to talk, not fight," Olette stated in a hopes of defusing the situation.

"Y-Yea...I need t-to figure this o-out..." all eyes turned to the blonde with ocean-blue eyes.

"Let's start with an explanation, how does that sound?" asked Pence.

"That sounds...safe..." Kairi looked to her sister again.

"To sum it up quickly for myself and Kairi, we were separated at ages two and three, my mom took me to Twilight Town while our dad took Kairi to the Destiny Islands. As much as I wish we could have kept in touch, we couldn't, so we haven't seen each other since then. But anyways, that's about it," she stated.

"I'm glad that the two of you found each other. It must be great being reunited with someone that you haven't seen in years." the chestnut-haired boy smiled to Namine as if she was an old friend and her tense posture relaxed.

 _"This has got to be him, he's just like Roxas described."_ Namine's thoughts were interrupted by Hayner grumbling.

"Well, now that all that's sorted out, let's do some introductions," he suggested.

"Wow, someone's grouchy..." the chestnut-haired boy made a jab at him and Hayner narrowed his eyes.

"You're a snarky bastard, aren't you?" he asked. The boy put his arms behind his head.

"Oh, _I wonder_ what gave that away?" Pence kicked Hayner's shin.

"Ouch!" he snapped and looked to his friend who gave him a look that told him a very clear statement.

 _"Don't let him antagonize you. That's what he wants, and if you do, Roxas won't get his answers."_ Hayner remained silent.

"Alright, I'll start us off." all eyes turned to the auburn-haired, green-eyed girl in orange next to Hayner.

"Okay, you can start," Kairi said.

"I'm Olette Williams, it's nice to meet you three." Olette didn't reach out for their hands only for the fact that she didn't want to invade their personal space, nor did she wish to knock anything over on the table.

"Kairi Misaki," the red-haired girl responded. Next was the black-haired gray-eyed boy.

"My name is Pence Alverson, good to meet cha'!" he was given a smile in return as the names went about.

"Riku Hirigaya, good to meet you, Olette, Pence..." Namine smiled.

"Namine Olamayne," she said.

"Nice to meet you as well, Namine." the blonde girl liked Riku, he was very much like an older brother in the sense that he was protective yet clearly very sweet and considerate.

"I'm Hayner Johnson...nice to meet you..." Hayner grumbled as he looked to the three of them.

"It's good to meet you, Namine, Hayner, Pence, Olette," the chestnut-haired boy stated.

"Okay, so, now it's your turn..." the boy looked to the blonde boy across from him.

"Can I have your name first?" curiosity rang clear in his tone and caught the attention of the boy he had directed the question at before ocean-blue eyes looked up.

"Roxas Lyster, that's my name," he said in a calm tone as he prepared himself for something that would either affirm his dreams and thoughts for months, or prove that he was truly insane.

"I'm Sora, Sora Seiren." the table fell silent as he stated his name.

The others across the table stared at him momentarily.

Not a word was said.

And then everything suddenly came back to life.

"WHAT?!" the group shouted as Roxas flinched.

"Told you he was real," he stated.

"B-But you shouldn't...what the hell?!" Sora raised an eyebrow.

"I'm going to assume you've been having dreams, Roxas?" Sora asked.

"Y-Yes! Since January this year." sky-blue eyes looked to the side.

"I've had dreams about you, too. About the clock tower at the station, the time you got beaten up at school...all of that..." he said.

"But how?" Sora shrugged.

"It's strange, but sometimes people just have dreams of other people and one day they suddenly meet them," he explained.

"I guess so...but why are the three of you here?" Riku smiled a bit.

"On vacation from work. We work with a very wealthy man acquiring rare items and additional things like books and paintings for him – legally, of course – and he decided we needed a break since we just got out of a bad scuffle with some people who wanted a very...special item that was dear to him and many others he knows," he stated as he cast a faint glance to Sora, who glared.

"Not that we couldn't handle them..." Kairi smiled a bit.

"So, yea...we kind of needed a break." Olette looked them over.

"That sounds fascinating. You guys are so young for that line of work," she said.

"It's no big deal. It pays well, we attend school, he lets us live in the mansion with him and we have to go collect things for him on occasion. It's honestly a really fun job, but we just needed a little bit of a breather." Roxas looked to Sora and found himself completely stunned.

He was precisely what he remembered from his dreams. The clothing, his skin-tone, his messy chestnut hair, his sharp, beautiful sky-blue-eyes, his voice, smile, laughter, his entire personality was a perfect replica of the person he'd met in his dreams constantly since January this year. Every part of Roxas's mind kept trying to refuse it as truth, but everything else in him persisted to state that yes, this was the same Sora from his dreams. Taking in a deep breath, Roxas watched him a bit longer, taking in his little quirks and traits while the boy before him struck up a conversation with everyone else to the point that it seemed natural: as if he'd always been there.

 _"Sora...he's real! I finally can begin to understand him better...maybe I can finally get some answers!"_

"So, do the three of you have anywhere to stay?" asked Roxas. The three of them looked to one another and Sora gave him a sheepish look.

"No, we just got into town..." Namine glanced to Roxas before smiling as she nodded.

"Come stay with me, then," Roxas said.

"What? But you just met us and..." he shook his head.

"No, I...listen, I just get the feeling that I need to talk to you. Sora, there's some things going on that I think you have the answers to," he told him.

"Me? I don't know if I really can help you with too much..." Roxas looked to him.

"But I know that you do have the answers. It's a feeling I have in my heart...if there's anyone who can help me figure out what's been happening...it's you," he said. Sky-blue eyes glanced about slightly before the boy took a breath.

"Okay, I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you..."

 **{Roxas's Home: 6:40pm}**

For once in his life, Roxas was thankful that the house he rented out – odd jobs did help, and the local orphanage had granted him this place so he could live there even after college if he chose to – had more than one bedroom. It was a simple place, the front door opened up to the living room and small dining area, the kitchen was next to it and to the right was a stairwell that led to the bedrooms. However, he was comfortable and happy where he was, and was even more excited than usual seeing as he currently had the boy he had been having dreams in his house along with Namine's sister, and their friend.

This was something that Roxas seemed to share in common with Sora: he liked meeting new people. The fact that he finally would gain answers was something that even further allowed him to feel a bit more peace than he had in recent months as everyone entered the house and the door shut while Roxas looked around the main room. There was a fold-out sofa, and the upstairs guest room had a queen-sized bed that would comfortably fit two people – and if needs be, it could fit three people – seeing as Roxas had taken the double-sized bed for his own room. He turned his attention to the others, who looked around.

"We appreciate you taking us in like this," Riku said.

"No problem. I just hope you guys don't mind the chaos that unfurls itself whenever these guys come over." Roxas pointed his thumb towards Hayner, Pence, and Olette.

"Hey! We're friends, you know! We have every right to cause chaos in your life!" Hayner said.

"Exactly, life is boring without psychotic friends."

"Right! Life is boring without...I think I'm going to hate you, Sora," Hayner stated as he glared at the chestnut-haired youth.

"Awh, and I thought we were becoming friends..." Riku rolled his eyes.

"Word to the wise, Hayner, don't get into back-and-forths with Sora, he'll destroy you," he said in warning as the dirty-blonde huffed.

"Fine, that cheeky brat can do whatever he likes..." sky-blue eyes glanced him over.

"I take that as a compliment," Sora stated.

"What the hell?! What kind of savage being are you?" the boy laughed.

"The worst kind – _a teenager._ " Hayner groaned and Pence placed a hand upon his shoulder.

"I believe you have been bested, my friend," he said.

"Dammit..." Sora looked around at the house that Roxas lived in and smiled as he glanced towards Kairi and Riku who seemed rather calm at this point in time, which allowed him to do the same.

"I appreciate you letting us stay, whether or not you care if you're thanked or not," Sora said as he looked at the blonde.

"No problem, I just really want to get to know you better." Ocean-blue looked to sky-blue eyes with a sincere expression.

"How come? I know you've been having dreams with me in them and vice versa, but I would think that would make you want to stay away from me...not endear you towards me," Sora stated while Roxas shook his head.

"In actuality, I want to figure out what our connection is. How do we know each other? Why did we start having dreams about each other if we've never met outside of them? You've got to be just as curious as I am," Roxas told him.

"To be honest, I haven't given it much thought...until I came here and ran into you...now I kind of wanna know what I can do to pinpoint why we've been having conversations in our dreams since January." the blonde nodded.

"I agree completely..." Pence looked the two of them over.

"You guys are little similar. I'd like to know how the two of you are connected, too," he said. Riku looked to Roxas.

"Is that all you wanted to ask us about? How Sora and you are connected? There's no way in hell you'll figure that out any time soon..." Sora glanced towards his friend before he stepped forward as he elbowed the taller teen in the side, startling him as Riku shot him a glare before groaning in defeat as he looked at the smaller boy beside him.

"Riku, don't be so pessimistic. We'll figure it out, okay?" Sora told him with a bright smile.

"That's easy for someone like you to say." Kairi smiled as she coiled her fingers with Sora's as the boy looked to her with a smile.

"So...um..." started Hayner.

"This is going to be an interesting last few days of break, huh, guys?" everyone looked to Olette while the group from Twilight Town nodded.

"No kidding..."

The remainder of the late afternoon and early evening consisted of Roxas and the others helping get Sora, Riku, and Kairi situated. Riku had opted to take the sofa while he all but forced the other two to take the bedroom, insisting that it would grant Kairi a bit more privacy and that she would feel more comfortable with Sora there. Namine had laughed as Riku gave them a scolding expression not unlike an older sibling that had the two of them accepting the choices made for them, until Sora put his foot down and stated that the three of them would stay in the room together, that is. After the three of them were settled so that they could get themselves ready for the evening, Roxas began to focus upon Sora's behavior while Hayner, Pence, Olette, and Namine chatted with the three teenagers.

Admittedly, it was strange and somewhat confusing: seeing someone you'd only ever spoken to in dreams suddenly right in front of you in the flesh. Roxas could honestly say that seeing Sora in the bookstore had been something that sent a frigid chill down his spine as he realized almost too late that the boy he had bumped into was the same from his dreams. In that instant, reality completely shattered for him and things that shouldn't have made sense started to come together. This Sora and the Sora in his dreams were the same person – he existed, and he had quite a vibrant, fiery, and energetic personality.

The Sora he recalled from his dreams was kind, warm, radiated light, healing, and safety, but could have moments where he was either a practical joker, or would become cold and so incredibly strong, fierce, terrifyingly alive with power, and so many other emotions and sensations that it overwhelmed him to the point that he felt he would simply fizzle out and vanish. Roxas sighed as he looked out the window in his kitchen while Namine came into the room with him as conversations continued in the living room. His mind was overcrowded with emotions and thoughts that he just couldn't quite get out of his way – not even enough to fully process what was happening – but when Namine came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist and placed her head against his back, for just a moment, everything cleared up.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yea...it's just a lot to take in." ice-blue eyes looked to ocean-colored ones.

"I understand that...but...are you going to tell him everything?" Roxas looked down.

"That's something I'm still debating...you see...I don't know if he'd believe me about the monsters...the attack the other day...or the Key-shaped weapon. I doubt he would believe any of that," he stated.

"You should at least try; you'll never know anything if you don't." Roxas turned around and put his arms around Namine, holding her close as he took in a deep breath – catching the scent of the shampoo she used as he did – before hugging the girl in his arms.

"I think I'm just going to have no choice but to tell him...but when, I don't know," he said.

"Just tell me when you're ready and I'll be there to help you out, okay?" Roxas smiled.

"Thanks, Nami." she returned his smile.

"Any time."

 **{Rooftop of Roxas's Home: 10:20pm}**

Sora sat atop the roof, watching the stars blink into existence while Kairi was getting herself ready for bed. He was already dressed to sleep and had chosen to escape the suffocating house for a moment. It wasn't the people within it, but himself alone. His body was shaking, his mind racing, vision wanting to blur with hot tears, and his senses kept telling him to ignore the onslaught, but he knew he couldn't: not entirely. People with the damage from trauma like himself didn't merely shrug off these feelings, and that was because they were stuck with it forever. Sora would never escape this, not really, and because of that, he always had to learn how to heal or recover from these pains, from the fear and the anxiety, the turmoil: from everything. As he sat there upon the ground, a sharp intake of breath came from him as he curled up on himself and did his best to not do anything more than fight back internally. He needed to get control upon this staggering sensation of discomfort that wanted to overpower him.

"Sora?" sky-blue eyes looked up into cyan ones.

"R-Riku..." the silver-haired teenager frowned as he looked at his friend.

"Are you alright? You look ill," he said as he sat down next to him.

"I don't know...Riku..." Sora bit his lip, putting his head upon his knees.

"Come on, let's get you back inside," Riku suggested.

"NO!" the silver-haired Dream Eater flinched in surprise at his friend's sudden outburst, but said nothing as Sora cast him a faintly wild look from under his bangs.

"Sora, you have to go back inside at some point," he stated.

"I don't want to go back right now...Riku, _please_..." the Dream Eater looked into the boy's terrified eyes and he sighed.

"It's happening again, isn't it? A relapse?" Sora looked away.

He hated that word so much: _relapse_. It felt like he was a recovering drug addict. It made his body feel violated, his mind felt hazed, and everything about him merely felt wrong. Nothing made sense, it didn't fit into the puzzle he was given, and while he had hoped that his life wouldn't leave him with too great amount of scars, the Dream Drop left the most impressionable one. Taking in a shuddering breath, Sora felt the need to scream or run far away just for a moment so he could forget the reality he lived in. Riku watched the boy tuck his head against his knees, putting his fingers in his hair, pulling as he did, while he felt tears slide down his face. In all the moments that Riku had seen Sora dealing with a relapse, this one was the worst.

To Riku's eyes, Sora looked frail, ill, and broken: everything he wasn't supposed to be. The boy he had grown up knowing may have been shy, timid, and albeit a bit to kind for his own good, but ultimately, Sora was strong, at least he assumed he was. Now, Riku was beginning to wonder how breakable his friend truly was. Could Sora truly handle these things alone? Was he capable of shouldering the harshness of their lives? When would it be too much? When would Sora finally just...shatter? Taking in a deep breath, Riku reached out to him and placed a hand upon his friend's head, musing his messy hair a bit as he did before looking towards teary sky-blue eyes.

"You gotta talk to me, I can't help you if you don't talk," Riku said.

"Riku...something's wrong with me..." cyan eyes looked the chestnut-haired youth over.

"No, you're just tired, you've had a stressful and really unexpected series of events today," he stated.

"That's not it! Riku, there's something inside me that's wrong...you don't see it... _but I feel it every damn day! It's always there..._ " the silver-haired Dream Eater looked to his friend.

"Sora, that thing you feel, it's just fear...and you can overcome that just like you always have," he said. The boy shook his head.

"This isn't fear, Riku...it's something much worse..." Riku rose an eyebrow.

"What are you talking about?" he questioned.

"It's my own darkness..." the faint memory of King Mickey asking him to search for the echo of Sora and Kairi's hearts in the darkness flooded Riku's mind as he felt recognition come upon him. He sat there in silence, realizing all to soon that Sora's fear wasn't of an outside force's ability to harm him: it was an internal force that caused him to be fearful of himself. Riku took in a steady breath and then reached out to pull his friend into a comforting embrace as he felt concern flood him as he heard the boy take in a rattling breath.

 _"So….that's how much grief this has really caused you…hmm…Sora? Your darkness has taken a form, hasn't it? One that you fear but know you must learn to control..."_

"Sora? Listen to me...Kairi will tell you the same thing I am about to tell you," Riku stated.

"W-What?" he looked at the other boy.

"You've fought the Darkness before, you've done it countless times, and you've won. Now you have to fight your own Darkness, and I don't doubt that you will win this fight as well. So stand up, you can do this," he said as he stood and held out his hand.

"Hey...Riku?" the silver-haired teen watched as Sora stood on his own.

"What?" the boy turned a watery smile to him.

"Thank you..."

"Of course, what are friends and Dream Eaters for?" sky-blue eyes gleamed a bit.

"Right, I'm glad to know you're there for me when I'm going down like this..." Riku shook his head.

"You have to stand strong, and so long as you need me and the others, we'll be there backing you up until the end," he said.

"Good, I'm gonna need it."

"Come on, let's get back inside, I bet Kairi is wondering where you are," Riku stated.

"Okay, let's go..."

 **{…...}**

 **Just cut these strings...**

 **{…...}**

Author's Note: Ahha! I am finally catching up! So, there is still a lot more to come because we are pacing this story unlike the original one. Anyways, I hope you guys have enjoyed this chapter and I look forward to your reviews!

Preview:

That's fine with me, but...who are the new faces we're seeing?"

"Did you see the shadows moving?"

"There's Heartless in the town!"

Chapter 12: Moving Shadows


	12. Day 12: Moving Shadows

Day 12: Moving Shadows

 **{Mysterious Tower: August 21nd 2013, 6:04am}**

"I didn't think I'd be here again so soon..." muttered a black-haired youth as he sat upon the steps of the tower, looking up at the stars.

"Must be kind of strange, seeing as the last time you were here, all of you were just about dead on your feet, huh?" asked a blonde. Emerald eyes turned to the boy.

"No kidding, but I still don't know why Master Yen Sid asked us to come this early in the morning..." the black-haired boy in question was one Yui Amane, and he and his brother Mika had been asked to attend a meeting by Grand Master Yen Sid at a rather ungodly hour this morning, causing them both to swiftly dress before heading directly over to the Mysterious Tower. A faint growl caught the blonde's ears and he laughed.

"Hungry?" the other boy narrowed his eyes.

"Laugh it up, just remember...starvation for a Ghoul is utter hell..." the boy groaned as he crossed his arms over his stomach. Mika sat beside him and smiled as he placed a hand upon the other's head.

"You'll be fine, now tell me, who else is supposed to be here?" the boy sighed.

"Let's see..." Yui pulled out a piece of paper with a list of names upon it.

 _"No one is going to know who I am if he uses my real name...great...I have to explain that one, too..."_ the boy groaned again while Mika raised an eyebrow.

"Wow, he actually used our real names, so...Yuuichiro Hyakuya and Mikaela Hyakuya, who's this?" Mika pointed towards a set of names below theirs.

"That's someone new...here's that Axel guy..." the blonde hummed.

"You fought alongside Jack Frost back in April right?" Yui nodded.

"Yea, I did. He was really helpful...but, these other people I haven't met before except for...Squall Leonhart, Tifa Lockhart, Cloud Strife, and that's about it. I don't know the others," he explained to the blonde as he looked around the area.

"This is going to be interesting...meeting these new people, don't you think?" the blonde turned his attention to his brother, who was looking over the list once more.

"Uhuh..." Mika frowned before snatching the list from his brother.

"You get far too focused on things sometimes, I swear, you're so boring!" the black-haired teenager frowned.

"Well, _excuse me, oh great Mikaela!_ Unlike some of us, I have the obligation of being Owari's Ambassador, and I have to know these peoples' names! They're part of the World Tree Coalition and I have to form alliances with them: we have to all cooperate together if we want this to work. Now, let me see the paper!" the boy stood and Mika looked it over.

"Nope! These are new people, you'll just have to wait and..." a flare of green fire appeared alongside the boy's sword being drawn.

"I will not hesitate to gut you, heal, and repeat the process...am I clear? Mikaela?" the blonde laughed a bit before holding the piece of paper out to his brother.

"Spoilsport..." the other rolled his eyes.

"Just remember that when you meet some of these people...they're not push overs...huh..." Mika stepped closer.

"What?" emerald eyes looked to sapphire ones.

"There are two people on here that we know," Yui said as he pointed out two names near the bottom of the page.

"Really?! Allen and one of his teammates are coming? We haven't seen them in forever..." the black-haired boy sighed.

"When you don't get enough sleep, you're far too high strung for my tastes..." Mika stepped back.

"I know you're hungry, but you wouldn't eat me, would you?" the boy eyed him.

"I can eat regular food, you know, my head just hurts..." the other sighed.

"Yea, I get it. Now, whose coming with Allen?" Yui looked the name over again.

"Lavi Bookman, remember? The red-haired one with the eye-patch? Got along really well with Hide?" Mika snapped his fingers.

"I remember him..."

"Good, if you didn't remember me, I would be disappointed. Ya know? Seeing as we're allies and everything," stated a voice.

The two brothers looked to their right to see none other than one Lavi Bookman standing near one of the trees with a certain white-haired teenager near him. Yui eyed the two of them, slightly on edge due to exhaustion and a lack of proper nutrition. Admittedly, the Anteiku Unit had been in contact with the Ark Unit of Rosecross once, and this was their second time interacting with one another. Yui had met the Exorcists of Rosecross's Black Order after an ordeal of dealing with the Nobles in their world had gone a bit sour. He recalled those details a bit more vividly than he so desired, but after the assault had forced the angelic side of his bloodline to trounce a Demon King, a group of people dressed in military uniforms had shown up and explained a few details to them. This was how their world and Yui had ended up interwoven in this mess and how he had ended up being sent in to help Sora and the others out during the Dream Drop.

 _"Not that I'm complaining, but why the hell weren't they sent in, too?"_

"Long time no see, how are you guys doing?" Yui asked.

"We've had better days. Seems like the Millennium Earl wants to go a few more rounds with us again. Not that he's faring well, right Allen?" Lavi elbowed the white-haired youth in the ribs, causing him to flinch.

"Jeez, no need to break my ribs. Leave that to the Akuma, would you?" he rubbed the offended area before turning his crimson-gold eyes towards Yui.

"Seems like you guys are having a rough time of it," said Mika.

"You have no idea. So, who else got called into this for today?" the black-haired teenager held up the paper.

"This is the list of people who were asked to come. Apparently, everyone else is being informed via messenger about the details pertaining to today," Yui explained.

"Okay, that's not too bad, I guess. There's only fourteen of us..." Lavi started laughing.

"You just can't escape that number, can you?" Crimson-gold eyes narrowed in annoyance.

"Shut up, baka-usagi!" the red-head deflated just a bit.

"Yep, you're in a bad mood today..." Mika looked to Lavi.

"Interesting that he's in such a bitter mood when Yuu here is just as annoyed," he stated.

"Must be the weather," the white-haired youth said off-handedly as he looked through the paper once more.

"Maybe...or Xehanort is really putting the screws to us..." the other nodded.

"That's possible as well. The Akuma and the Earl have been a bit jumpy lately...it's kind of annoying..."

"So, who's this new kid? Oz something?" asked Lavi.

"Don't know..." the doors to the tower opened and out stepped a black rabbit in blue attire.

"Come on in, the others teleported into the tower. Sorry to keep you four waiting," he said.

"Hey, Oswald, how are you holding up?" the rabbit smiled to Yui.

"I'm surviving. The recent days have been rather stressful, how have the four of you been?" he inquired.

"We've been doing okay on our front. I'm not sure about the Exorcists..." Oswald turned his eyes towards Allen, who smiled in a wiry manner.

"I'm sure we'll be fine once we get this other factory destroyed. We keep running into snags with this one on location, but I think we've finally narrowed it down, thankfully," he answered.

"That's good to hear. Now, I know that several new people have appeared for today's meeting in groups of two – as is the rule when traveling between worlds – but, I think you'll find most of them rather interesting." Yui sighed.

"Your definition of interesting and ours may be very different." Oswald smiled.

"That might be true...but you'll like some of our new comrades, and I think Allen will recognize at least one of them."

Allen raised an eyebrow as they ascended the staircase to the room where Grand Master Yen Sid was holding the meeting. Crimson-gold eyes looked to Yui and Mika, while Lavi kept silent and recorded what was around him. Since the start of their involvement, Allen had always been the one to go and hand in their monthly report to the Grand Master in a solo assignment; meaning this was the first time that Lavi had ever so much as laid sights upon the Mysterious Tower. Personally, the young General had every desire to keep his Unit out of this mess as best he could – for how long he could, at least – and while he was safely comfortable with putting himself in the thick of it, he was reluctant to have any other member of the Black Order present with him unless specified.

Currently, Lavi was acting as the record keeper for the Ark Unit, which meant that he had no choice but to be present at urgent meetings unless Allen had chosen Lenalee or another member to attend with him. Sighing, he cast his gaze towards Yui and his brother and teammate Mika. The two of them had been quite a sight when they'd exited the portal from their world, and while they were rather surprised to see them, it had been a welcomed one. Allen had heard a report during the events of the Dream Drop that had put him and his entire unit on high alert, hoping that they wouldn't be called in when they heard the severity of it; however, they weren't required, but that had left the assistance up to Jack Frost from the world known as Burgess and Yui Amane from Owari.

Allen bit the inside of his cheek as he thought about hearing the name and at first not being aware of who it was. Learning that it had been the same black-haired, emerald-eyed Seraphim hybrid he'd met during his unit's trip to Owari had only solidified the fact that the worlds involved would be in danger, but when the injury report came in, it had done nothing but assure him of one other thing: this war was real, and it was twice as horrific as they'd first believed.

 _"It also confirmed my belief from almost two years prior...we don't have a choice but to fight if we want to survive. As frustrating as it can be...we had to join in...otherwise Rosecross would collapse under the strain...we're just not strong enough alone."_

Allen looked up as the door to the meeting room came up and they entered the room, the moment the four of them entered, though, Allen's eyes turned to one particular person. Sitting in a chair, dressed in black, was a young boy of around fourteen or fifteen years old with messy yet well-kept silver-blue hair and an eye-patch. The boy had a rich, sapphire-blue eye visible, fair skin, and had a tall man in a black suit behind him. A wiry smirk appeared upon his face and he crossed his arms over his slim chest as he hummed a bit.

"Well, to what do we owe this pleasure? _Ciel Phantomhive?_ " the youth sat down the cup of tea he had in his grasp.

"I thought I would...weigh in upon the severity of the situation. After all, it was you who requested our assistances for your...employer, was it not?" he inquired.

"True, still, I'm not quite sure I agree with your methods." Allen took a seat across from the youth with Lavi next to him. A sharp blue eye observed the two in black and green uniforms near them.

"And, who are you might I ask?" the young Earl inquired.

"Yuuichiro and Mikaela Hyakuya." the youth hummed in thought as the black-haired boy kept his gaze upon the teenager across from him while Mika tried to pinpoint what had caught his brother's interest.

"The two Seraphim, that's interesting. Tell me, what is your world like?" he questioned as he looked to the two of them as the man in black behind him remained silent.

"In a war with vampires and monsters..." the dark man behind the teenager observed them.

"Forgive me for inquiring, young Master, but the weapon you carry seems to have something of an unsavory variety trapped within it, what would that be, precisely?" he asked kindly. Yuu narrowed his eyes as the blade beside him seemed to begin rattling in its sheath.

 _"Unsavory?! The hell are you talking about?! You're the same as..."_

"Shush!" he turned his attention to the sword and it stilled.

"Oh, quite lively isn't it?" he probed. Emerald eyes turned a sharp look upon the man.

"This is Asuramaru, a blade from the Black Demon series weapons in our world. She's a demon who's the sister of the Vampire Queen, Krul Tepes." Mika remained tense with his weapon, Fenrir, nearby him.

"Fascinating, so, you weaponize demons in your world? That must be rather difficult," Ciel stated.

"Not really...anyways, what do two demons like yourselves want with the World Tree Coalition?" the youth laughed a bit.

"If I may answer for my Master. The young General Allen Walker was sent to our estate in the outskirts of London roughly four months ago, and he requested our assistances on behalf of Grand Master Yen Sid and King Mickey Mouse. We did consider it for quite some time and have chosen to assist for the sake of preventing all of our hard work going to waste on both fronts," stated the man.

"And you are?" asked Lavi.

"Oh, I am simply one hell of a butler; however, if it is a name you seek, I go by Sebastian Michalis, head butler to the Phantomhive family." Allen kept a sharp gaze upon the two.

"Why a demon and his master would choose to help the Light is lost to me as of current, but I will suppose that you have good intentions?" Ciel smiled.

"But of course, particularly due to our similar stations of residence," he stated.

"That's right, Rosecross is also your home world, correct?" the teenager nodded.

"Yes, so there's no need for us to be at one another's throats. Come now, I thought you were far more polite than that, Allen Walker...and Yuuichiro Hyakuya...Mikaela Hyakuya. Let's work together for the betterment of our worlds, shall we?" Ciel questioned.

"Sounds fine to me, I look forward to working together with you and your butler, Ciel." the youth smiled.

"Well, I see that several of you are acquainted," all eyes turned to King Mickey.

"Your Majesty! It's good to see you." the mouse King smiled as he turned his gaze to the black-haired youth.

"Yui...oh, well Yuuichiro I suppose? It's good to see you as well, have you been doing well?" asked the King as he took a seat.

"We've had some rough spots with the vamps lately, but other than that, we've been having a fairly easy time." Mika smiled.

"Ah, that's good. Now, who is with you today?" the King questioned as he looked at a few of the newer faces present.

"This is my brother, Mikaela Hyakuya." the blonde nodded his head.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty," he stated.

"As it is you. Now, I believe we're missing a few people...I would like all the newer accompanyments to be present so to introduce ourselves at once...it saves time, seeing as we have so little of it today." they nodded as Ciel went back to his tea and waited in silence.

He rather liked this lot of strange people. Allen Walker he was familiar with, seeing as he had not only spoken with the boy before, but that he was from the same world as him and had seen and dealt with a few of the Millennium Earl's advances once or twice. By this point, though, he was more interested in the newer faces present. He liked Allen, he found him interesting, and was happy to see he was doing well; however, his companion Lavi and the two new faces beside them had most certainly caught his attention. Now, he supposed awaiting further for members of the World Tree Coalition to make their appearance would be the extent of what he could do.

The door opened, allowing for the aged Grand Master to enter and take his seat as they waited, and soon more people began to arrive. Ciel and the others took in the newer faces, noting a few of them seemed rather interesting and a bit intimidating. King Mickey took note of the exhaustion upon Squall Leonhart's face as he sat down next to Cloud Strife, while Noctis settled next to them as well, followed swiftly by the black-cloaked form of their informant, who stood in the corner of the room while all eyes remained upon him momentarily. The next to arrive were two boys who seemed to be twins, a black-blue-haired teen with sharp blue eyes carrying a sword upon his back entered the room and took a seat towards the end of the long table with his brother next to him, while an aged man in a gray cloak entered and removed the pointed hat from his head as he sat next to the twins.

All eyes took in the next set of people to enter, which was a black-haired man with yellow-toned eyes and a youth with messy blonde hair and sharp apple-green eyes. He grinned brightly to the people as he took his seat, most taking in his attire of brown boots, dark green plaid-patterned shorts, a white-button-up shirt, a black and gold trimmed vest, and a red tie. The boy wore around his neck a gold pocket-watch, and while he seemed to be a rather basic person, most got the sense that his bright smile and cheery attitude only hid the other half of his personality. Finally, the last people entered the room. Two blondes, one with gold eyes and the other with hazel eyes settled down near the King and Master Yen Sid before the last two people appeared. A young man with slightly long black hair, pale skin, and electric-blue eyes, wearing a black track-suit with a blue scarf tied about his neck entered the room, his dark brown boots clacking against the wood floors as he looked around before grabbing hold of the person standing outside the door.

"Come on, we're late!" he said as he dragged the young blonde in with him and took his seat between Allen and Yuuichiro. The blonde boy next to the other wore a pair of dark colored jeans, Converse sneakers, a black long-sleeve shirt, and a green jacket with a fur-trimmed hood with pins of some kind upon the area over the heart and the hood, which had an orange interior that almost matched the color of the boy's eyes. He sighed, stretching a bit as he watched the others around them.

"Well, it is good to see that all of you could make it on such short notice. I know that this is a rather sudden meeting; however, I wish to do an inspection upon how the rate of Heartless and Nobodies have been growing in each of your worlds and to inform you of a recent detail that has arisen," stated Master Yen Sid as he looked at each of them.

"That's fine with me, but...who are the new faces we're seeing?" all eyes turned to Squall who stared at the new people present.

"Yea, were you recruiting during these last few months or something?" asked Cloud as he observed the room.

"Not quite, I have sent out other members of the Coalition to request the assistance of those present with the possibilities of us needing further assistance in the near future." the room remained relatively silent as they glanced to one another before Lavi whistled.

"For a room full of allies...you would think that the atmosphere would be more hospitable," he said.

"No kidding...alright, well...I think a round of introductions is in order." Allen looked to the others and Ciel smiled.

"Very well, then, I will start. My name is Ciel Phantomhive, I am an Earl and assist Queen Victoria in handling the criminal underworld. My family has worked with the Royal family for the better half of the last one hundred and fifty years, and I have stopped everything from drug trafficking to the illegal sale of goods, which can include animals and humans...including their souls and hearts," he explained. The introduction was a rather blunt one; however, it was to the point and got the information out in the open.

"Interesting line of work. My name is Lavi Bookman, Exorcist for the Black Order, and apprentice Bookman, or scribe as some of you would more than likely call it. I'm also a member of the Ark Unit, an elite group of Exorcists that work with our resident Verix, Allen Walker."

"That would be me, by the way. A Verix is a type of vampiric hybrid, and my bloodlines come from the Fourteenth Noah, Neah Walker. I'm also the leader of the Ark Unit and a General within the Black Order," he stated.

"Huh...so...who are the rest of you? We know Squall and Cloud...but what about the cloaked guy?" one of the others pointed out.

"Hey, leave me out of this little welcoming party. I've been part of the Coalition for as long as it's been around," he said bluntly as he waved his hands at the group.

"Fine, then we'll continue...I'm Noctis Caleum, I'm a prince from a Kingdom within the world known as the Enchanted Dominion and I've only been in the Coalition for a year or so..." the blonde with golden eyes smiled.

"I'm Edward Elric, this is my brother Alphonse, we're from the world of Amestris; there, I go by the code name Full Metal Alchemist and am a major in the military," he told them. The elderly man in a gray cloak looked them over with a calm smile upon his features.

"I see, quite the interesting lot you've gotten here, Yen Sid." the boy with blonde-hair and apple-green eyes looked him over.

"Who are you?" he questioned.

"Who am I? I'm Gandalf! And Gandalf means...well, me. I am one of the five Great Wizards of the Realm, it is an honor to meet all of you who are helping in this great struggle." the wizard looked knowingly towards the youth who had questioned him.

"And who is this inquisitive youth?" he inquired.

"I'm Oz Vessalius, I'm a member of Pandora in my world...this is my teammate Gilbert Nightray. I'm also a chain, a type of creature from the Abyss who can wield magic and abilities." Allen and Yuuichiro shared a slight look at the boy as his teammate and friend Gilbert sighed.

"So, your not human either, huh?" asked Yuuichiro as he looked to him.

"Nope, what are you?" apple-green looked into emerald as the black-haired teenager sighed.

"I'm Yuuichiro Hyakuya, this is my teammate and brother Mikaela Hyakuya. We're part of the Anteiku Unit of the Moon Demon Company, which is a sub-group of the Japanese Imperial Demon Army. I'm the first in command of the unit of fourteen alongside my fiance Shinoa Hiragi." the boy hummed.

"Then what are you? You don't smell like a human," Oz stated.

"I'm a Seraphic-Ghoul hybrid...my brother is a Seraphim Hybrid." the blonde smiled.

"That's pretty neat...so...who do we have left?" all eyes turned to the two boys seated between Allen and Yuuichiro. The black-haired teenager with electric-blue eyes grinned.

"I'm Yato Morikami, a minor Deity from the world known as Nearshore. This is my teammate and Regalia Weapon here," he said as he pointed to the blonde boy.

"You're a living weapon?" Yuuichiro sighed.

"It's not that far-fetched, believe me. I know two people who can turn their bodies into bladed weapons...remember? Soul Evans and Maka Albarn?" he reminded Mika of this and he nodded.

"That's right, I remember them...so, what's your name, kid?" he asked. Sunset-orange-eyes looked to him.

"Yukine...Yukine Shindo." King Mickey smiled.

"Then, there's us. I'm Yukio Okumura, and this is my brother Rin, we're from True Cross...we've been with the World Tree Coalition for a while now..." they greeted the twins who smiled and then, King Mickey looked to Master Yen Sid.

"Well, now that we've had our introductions, let's get to the meat of the situation. Master Yen Sid, if you would please," he said. The Grand Master nodded.

"As you know, the current situation with Keyblade Bearers has been at a rather stagnant state since the end of the Keyblade War a century ago; once, there were only three Keyblade Masters still in existence. Myself, King Mickey, and one other Master...in addition, there was a fourth: Xehanort Erebus. However, in recent years, we have gained additional Keyblade Bearers..."

Those within the room nodded. Some of them had never met Sora, Riku, or Kairi; however, they were well aware of who they were. Mika looked to his brother, recalling what he told their unit about the boy named Sora and what he was like. Personally, he felt that he would be rather happy to have the boy as a teammate at some point if it called for the opportunity, and he would look forward to working with them, but until then, he took in the information around him just like the others were as the Grand Master continued to speak.

"These three newest Keyblade Bearers granted us a rise in our ranks, and as most of you know, in April, two of these Bearers became Masters, which means that they are allowed to take on students at this point. Still, a problem arose with the detail that there were no other chosen Bearers...that has now changed," he stated. The group around them looked on in surprise.

"Changed? You mean, there are more Keyblade Bearers showing up?" the man nodded.

"Yes, you are correct, Mikaela, there have been an increase of Keyblade Bearers recently, and as of now, Master Sora, Master Riku, and Princess Kairi are in a world where two of these newly chosen Bearers are presiding: Twilight Town," he said.

"So, what does this mean?" the man took in a steady breath.

"The fact of the matter is why I have called this meeting: because, it would seem that the Keyblade is beginning to choose more Bearers, this means our precautions will have to increase on certain worlds in order to protect these potential Keyblade Bearers," Master Yen Sid stated. Ciel frowned.

"Which worlds are these, precisely? Or are you too uncertain to tell us anything as of yet?" dark-brown eyes stared at a singular deep-blue one.

"As of current, only two worlds have been confirmed to house a singular Bearer of the Keyblade, those worlds are Rosecross and Owari," he explained. Those from the two worlds mentioned tense, some getting a sinking feeling.

"Then why not bring the two candidates here? You could watch them, and don't we need to meet them? Prepare them for the inevitable? Didn't you say that once the Keyblade marked you to become a Bearer, there was no escaping it?" the Grand Master nodded.

"Yes, that is true. Once the Keyblade has chosen you as a Bearer, you will ultimately bear the burden of its power and you cannot change that fact," he said.

"Then why not just bring them here and explain it to them? Would that make it easier than just waiting for them to draw the Heartless or Organization Thirteen towards them?" asked Allen.

"Indeed, it would be best to avoid such a traumatic situation; however..." Yuuichiro started to stand.

"Then we'll go and get the person from our world and bring them back, I suppose that Allen or Ciel could do the same for their world, and..." King Mickey looked downtrodden by the boy's words.

"There is no need for you to seek them out," Master Yen Sid stated calmly. Emerald eyes looked to him.

"What do you mean by that?" Mika pulled his brother back down into his seat, and then the others turned their gaze to the Grand Master.

"Can you please explain? Why shouldn't we go get them?" the man took in a deep breath.  
"Because I have already summoned them both..." the room became deathly still, most feeling panic or anxiety rise into their system as they awaited the man's next words. Oz frowned, a cold look taking over his expression as his eyes gained a faint mature ruby tone to them and his hair darkened a fraction. Gilbert placed a hand upon the boy's shoulder, trying to keep the boy's Chain heritage in check so not to have Alice kill him for not doing his job.

"Who are they? Tell us," Yato stated. The Grand Master took in a steadying breath.

"The two potential Keyblade Bearers are Allen Walker, and Yuuichiro Hyakuya." the two boys in question stared onward at the man in shock.

"A-Are you sure that's not some mistake?! I mean, hell! We've got enough going on as it is, and..." Yuuichiro shook his head at his brother.

"If it's going to happen, I can't exactly stop it, now, can I? At least we know," he said.

"You're taking it rather well..." Allen swallowed thickly.

"Alright, Yuuichiro has a point...if we know, then we can at least brace ourselves and expect a certain outcome...it could be worse." Grand Master Yen Sid smiled slowly.

"In times such as these, one must prepare themselves for whatever outcome fate deals them," he stated.

"That goes without saying..."

 **{Twilight Town: August 22nd 2013, 3:04am}**

A faint grumble was heard as a shift of fabric met Sora's ears as he tried his hardest to stay asleep as someone started shaking him. Another growl of frustration left him as he did his best to ignore whomever it was that was shaking him awake at this point. With a huff, he rolled away and onto his back before a deep breath left him as he blearily opened his eyes to stare up into cyan ones. Sora sat up with a groan of frustration as Riku stepped away from the bed and looked at the half-awake teenager, who only glowered at him. In the dim light of the room, Riku would admit that Sora's eyes took on a frightening quality to them only because the sharp sky blue of his irises glowed in the darkness. Sighing, Riku swallowed his concern over the boy's clear irritation and took a moment to assess the situation as another strange roar-like rumble echoed through the exterior and deep into the streets of the town. Sky-blue-eyes widened as he looked to Riku, who turned his attention to the window in the room.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Take a look outside..." Sora stood, stretching before looking at the streets outside.

"Alright, so..." the boy paused when something moved and Riku narrowed his eyes.

"Did you see the shadows moving?" he questioned. Sora nodded.

"There's Heartless in the town!" the boy looked to him.

"We need to get out there right now and get these things out of here!" Riku hissed in a whisper so not to wake anyone.

"Agreed, but...should we wake Kairi up?" he shook his head.

"Explain it to her later, she'll have to stall for us while we deal with these little bug-eyed bastards," he stated as he went over to the side of the room near the door and tugged on his shoes before watching as Sora did the same. The boy huffed a bit before grabbing his jacket and putting it on while Riku looked out the window once again.

"Who was it who called me insane for choosing to sleep in my clothes again?" asked Sora.

"Can it, you can be chatty after we kill these things." the chestnut-haired sixteen-year-old nodded.

"Alright, fine, let's go get this over with..." with that, the two boys were gone, racing silently down the stairs and out the door into the hoard of Heartless. Their night jobs had begun apparently, and Sora and Riku both knew it was only just the tip of the iceberg.

 **{….}**

 _That hold me safe..._

 **{…...}**

 **Author's Note:** Well, I know this chapter was mostly the little meeting between the World Tree Coalition and some new characters getting involved, plus Allen and Yuuichiro are being pinned as potential Keyblade Bearers, and now we've got the start of the next chapter! Hope you guys are having a great Holiday season and I hope everyone has an amazing New Year.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Preview:

"There's too many!"

"Looks like I have no choice..."

"So, you did something pretty crazy last night, what was that?"

Chapter 13: Legends.


	13. Day 13: Legends

Day 13: Legends

 **{Twilight Town: August 22nd 2013, 3:24am}**

Riku looked around himself as Sora stared at the scene of the streets before them swarming with Heartless like an ocean. They were standing upon the roof of Roxas's home watching and waiting for a means to deal with these pests to come to their minds; however, thus far, they hadn't come to many answers. The two Keyblade Masters were attempting to seek out a viable way to take down the Heartless without drawing too much attention to themselves, yet between the amount that were starting to flood the streets and the two of them, they were starting to have their doubts. Sora's sharp sky-blue eyes examined the area closely, seeking out a Heartless with an emblem on it somewhere and trying to pinpoint how many could possibly be present. Squinting slightly, the boy engaged one of his magical abilities and an ice-like monocle appeared around his eye and allowed him to zoom in to the scattered hoard.

"What do you think we should do?" asked Riku.

"You mean _besides destroying them?_ " he nodded.

"Yes! What I meant to ask is how should we go about this without making too much of a ruckus?" he questioned. The chestnut-haired teenager next to him sighed in defeat.

"There's not really a way around that without getting ourselves gravely injured. We can't ignore them, either, so….doing our job regardless of whether or not we disturb the locals is our main objective." The silver-haired teenager huffed before looking to his friend.

"What's with the ice thing around your eye?" he probed. Sora blinked and the disc within it expanded, allowing him to focus his sight.

"It's a kind of scope. Let's me see better…." Riku frowned.

"You have twenty-twenty vision," he stated.

"I meant _it lets me focus in on things!_ Like a sniper scope." The boy sent him a scowl and Riku shook his head.

"So, can you deal with these things?" he inquired. Sky-blue eyes narrowed at him.

"Yes, I can. Maybe you should hang back and let me deal with these things….so that no one goes looking for me and Kairi doesn't worry too much…." Sora looked at the hoard and Riku gave him a startled expression.

"I don't like the idea of you facing all those Heartless alone. There's way too many of them." The boy rolled his eyes.

"Listen, I can do this. I've faced more than the amount here before, okay? Riku, I don't know if it's a good idea to leave Kairi alone in the house with the others," he stated. The silver-haired Keyblade Master gave his friend a long look.

"Why? It's not like you to be so untrusting of people." Sora shook his head.

"It's not that I don't trust them, it's that I've got a hunch that two of these people are the Keyblade Wielders we're looking for," he explained.

"How can you be certain?" Sora shrugged.

"I'm just doing what Master Yen Sid said. I'm listening to what my heart, ears, and eyes are telling me. I've just got to narrow it down," he stated.

"That's fine, but I'm still not sure about letting you do this alone." Sora looked to him.

"Alright, then how about a game? You take the ones on the right and I'll take the ones on the left. We'll meet in the center and whoever gets there first wins," he suggested with a smirk. Riku shook his head but smiled all the same at the boy's antics.

 _"For all his seriousness and mature moments, he can still be the same old Sora when he wants to."_

"Okay, you're on!" he stood as the boy did as well.

"See you at the town square?" Sora held up his fist and Riku bumped the back of his own against the boy's.

"Don't get carried away now, munchkin," he stated. The boy gave him a wiry smile before glaring.

"Do I look like a lollipop guild member to you?" the boy's right eye turned royal-blue and Riku frowned a bit as the ice-scope vanished in the process.

"Nope, but all the same: _you're a munchkin,_ " he stated. Sora rolled his eyes.

"Whatever you say, Joten…" with that, the boy jumped off the roof top and onto one below before he drew Oathkeeper and Oblivion and leaped down into the streets to being his hunt for the Heartless while Riku remained slightly frozen in confusion.

"What in the hell is a Joten?"

Riku shook himself out and jumped off the roof as well before going down the right street to round off and hopefully meet Sora at the town square. The beginning fight with the few randomized Shadow-Heartless was rather basic for both of them; however the deeper into the hoards they got, the worse it became. From just a few odd Large Body ones to a patch of what had been recently dubbed a Neo Heartless, they ran into nothing short of trouble with one set after another. Sora in particular was finding himself with some rather unpleasant encounters with vast arrays of Heartless and bundles of them that came in swarms. The chestnut-haired sixteen-year-old took in a deep breath as he looked to the streets around him.

The Heartless were swarming in a way that he'd never seen them do before – the notion was somewhat concerning, to say the least – as he tried to pinpoint what to do next. Sora frowned as he pondered why he had even hoped there would be no Heartless during a mission to recover two new Keyblade Wielders. At the beginning of their assignment, the three of them should have known that coming to any world without Heartless would be a high improbability. In knowing this, Sora narrowed his eyes as he considered that their hopes of this going off without a hitch should have been quickly dismissed, only because: when had things ever gone exactly according to their plans? Sighing, Sora took note in a Heartless as it crawled past him and he took a step forward.

 _"No time like the present to flex a few abilities…."_

Sora took in a deep breath as he felt the icy chill of his power coming through him. His attire changed to royal-blue with black in the inner line of his legs and the bottoms of his pants and top centers of his shoes alongside the straps. White lines appeared between the two colors as blue mist-like waves at the tops of his shirt sleeves, and the hem of his pants. Sky-blue eyes opened as a ring of ice appeared around his right eye, which turned the same royal blue of his attire as a sharp, crystal-like Keyblade appeared in his grasp as he held his hand out.

It had jagged, ice-like spikes across it that varied from royal-blue to pale-blue and carried gold and violet gens along the teeth. The grip was a rich royal amethyst, the Keychain was gold with a pale-blue, rough cut crystal crown at the end. At the bottom of the grip was a golden-toned sharp-cut crown piece and at the curve of the teeth was settled a fair sapphire-blue sphere made of crystal. Sora swung the Keyblade, and a series of gleams and ice shot away from the teeth of it in a wave of energy as he crouched and the energy of the Drive form of Wisdom allowed him to glide in a swift, and free motion towards the Heartless. The Keyblade gave a series of sharp, whistle-like jingles that reminded the sixteen-year-old Keyblade Master of wind-chimes as it sliced through the Heartless.

This Keyblade had never once been witnessed by another person save for himself and Master Yen Sid. It was of a great use to him in Wisdom Form as it was imbued with high levels of magic and made the abilities he possessed with it twice as potent. As with any Keyblade that matched the element of his Drive Forms, it enhanced the magic tenfold and caused them to be far more accurate. Sora's mismatched blue eyes locked on the Heartless and he settled himself into a crouch to attack the next hoard of the monsters. He moved the Keyblade back as he posed for the next attack, the weapon gleaming in the sunset and catching the light, causing the sunset to refract through it and set shards of light across the area around him. Sora swung the Keyblade forward as a crackle of blue magic formed at the teeth and he aimed it, shooting it forward like a bullet towards the Heartless before him. Just as he turned, though, another shroud of shadows pooled upon the ground as he groaned in defeat.

"Great….they're like roaches….you kill one of them….twenty replace it…." With that, he jumped back into the fray; knowing fairly well that he was going to be in for quite a long night.

 **{Unknown Area: 4:00am}**

With a heavy sigh, a man looked through the screens that depicted Twilight Town as a person in a black cloak stood behind him. A singular eye observed the image of three teenagers walking along the streets, looking around as they attempted to get their bearings. The man's gaze settled upon Sora as the boy talked with Riku and Kairi as he laughed a bit and they searched through the town and settled upon entering a book store. A faint smile came to his features as Sora glanced back momentarily as the door shut behind him and he considered the events that were soon to come.

"What's that smile all about? You missing someone?" the man in the mask shook his head.

"No, I am merely considering the present and the things that shall come in the future," he stated.

"Are you sure you're not mourning the loss of your potentially vital weapon against the Darkness?" the man turned to look at him.

"Listen well, what I did was in order to keep him safe. Many of them may have taken it in an ill manner; however, what I intended for him….fell to pieces when he became a thriving, acting force….." the cloaked man huffed.

"Tell me about it, who would have thought that brat would be capable of what he's done so far?" the red-masked man glared at him.

"Compared to that one boy's heart…..the might of a mere pitiful human is nothing but a frail breeze of the wind," he stated. The man in the black cloak shrugged.

"Regardless of that….you did a pretty good job of fooling everyone, when it called for it." The masked-man nodded.

"I am aware of such, and I did as I had promised someone from many moons ago. The boy is special, and due to that; I need to keep to the vow I made in order to be certain that the details that will come into light shall follow accordingly," he explained.

"Yea, I get it. The promise was to someone whom you can't talk about but has already passed away. But, anyways….the boy….what was his name, again?" the man looked to him.

"His name is Sora, and he is not alone in his unique talents and traits….if you are so eager to know," he mentioned. The cloaked man perked up.

"There's _two of them?"_ he asked.

"Yes, two keys to a dire situation….the Light and the Darkness have an eternal dance of which they must complete. However, sometimes…..these two natural adversaries share common ties, and in doing such…they may _indeed become the only shields_ standing between us and the destruction of everything we know at the hands of Xehanort Erebus…"

"Then why did you let the kid go? How come you allowed the other two and the duck and the dog to bust him out? Wouldn't it have been a better idea to keep him away from all this mess?" he inquired.

"No, I am afraid that he would have grown to resent us. My actions cost him a year of his life…a potential year of peace, of time to grow and prepare for his struggles that would come ahead…all because I was far too blind to do anything more than shield him from Maleficent and Organization Thirteen. Ultimately, my actions wounded him more than I had believed they would…." The other sighed.

"Yea, I guess…." The man looked him over.

"I do believe you witnessed this in the debacle that was the Dream Drop," he stated. The other nodded swiftly.

"Uh….yea….that was one fucked up situation. But, hey! Who knew that your precious Hikari would have the potential to have that much darkness inside him," he questioned.

"No, that is where you are wrong. Sora, _is anything but dark_ ….the Light within him is stronger than most would believe. He is remarkably powerful….and all he is required to do is to look inside and remember to turn on his own light from deep within." The other hummed.

"Hmm, I get it I guess. It's what the whole Yami and Hikari thing is about, right? A set of vessels that parallel one another, so they would be the ones to possibly kill one another," he stated. The masked man laughed.

"I am afraid you are very wrong. The Hikari and the Yami, both can be of the Light: _they are the balance of the worlds imbued into existence._ The two of them are the reason that the origin of these events were to collapse….the Heart of the Worlds could not withstand such unbalance…it is what started the Keyblade War…." The other frowned.

"Because….the Light and the Darkness weren't right?" the masked man shook his head.

"No….it is merely because, the Light had grown too dim and the darkness too great. Do not be fooled by the current situations, though….Xehanort did his best then, and he shall do so once again if he is granted the opportunity…." The other sighed.

"I see…so….this is going to be interested then," he stated as the masked-man laughed faintly before smiling as he turned back towards the screen.

"Sora, and his counterpart….have the power to tip the tides in all of our favors; except for our oppositions. They are more powerful than either of them could possible know…..and so, it shall be our jobs to keep an eye upon them and the others who carry on the journeys with them and to make sure that on occasion…..we give them a nudge in the direction of the truths that were hidden and lost to time…" the cloaked man stretched a bit.

"Well then, I guess we had better get to work; after all….we do have lots of people to gather, inform, and information to detail and keep track of…for when the time comes."

"Rather well-chosen words, for a former Organization member," he stated.

"Hey, give me some credit. Anyways; I told you already….I don't look after that brat just because I want to, it's because I also owe someone a favor….and him….got it memorized?"

"Naturally; however, do we not owe those people of the past a favor in one form or another?" the cloaked-man laughed as he opened a door of darkness.

"Yea, I guess so…"

 **{Twilight Town: Streets: 4:35am}**

Riku jumped out of the way of an attack from a Large Body Heartless as he brought Way to the Dawn down upon its head, causing it to shatter. As he had been fighting and the world around him settled into its few hours of night time the sensation of cooling and faint anxiety settled around him and into his system. The silver-haired Keyblade Master rolled away as the foul stench of burnt rubber filled the area and he continued to run in order to locate Sora. The boy had split up with him looking confident about the situation - letting him know that he was certain of his skill when it dealt with the Heartless – and although it did ease his nerves to an extent: it also unsettled him to no end. Riku had been getting the sense that Sora had been keeping things quiet lately, and while he knew that the boy was entitled to his own share of secrets, the situations they were in was one where a secret could cost someone their life.

Since the events of the Dream Drop, Sora had shown both he and Kairi what sort of damage he was suffering through. His nightmares, anxiety, and duress had been nothing but terrifying to witness and experience; however, Riku was aware that despite those details, the things that would continue in their lives would bring back those moments despite their best efforts and all they could do was wait and hope for the best. Riku turned a corner as he continued to search for Sora and was continuously met with Heartless as he felt the pull of his friend's energy nearby. With a growl of frustration, he drew his Keyblade and attacked, not wasting any time as he felt the ties he had to Sora as his Dream Eater pulling upon him greatly as he moved closer and finally laid eyes upon the chestnut-haired teenager in the center of the attack.

Riku set to dispatching the few Heartless holding him back in a swift manner whilst hoping that the other boy could hold out until he arrived. The silver-haired Master as he swung his weapon, considered what he was witnessing as he continued to fight through the crowd. The amount of Heartless that had gathered within the streets of Twilight Town was nothing short of mind-numbing and terrifying. He questioned why they had such a vast amount and considered the reasons: was it because there were five Keyblade Bearers present within the same location? Or, were there other reasons? Were they after something? What was the point of this many showing up so suddenly?

After what felt like eternity, Riku finally arrived to where Sora was. His breath was labored from running and fighting with the Heartless as he went; however, he was relieved all the same to see that Sora was still in one piece and fighting. Cyan eyes looked up through silver bangs at the chestnut-haired sixteen-year-old and his body instantly locked up on him. In the middle of what seemed to be a decent hundred Heartless stood Sora. In his hand was a crystal Keyblade with jagged edges and crackling blue magic at its teeth while he shot magical bullets off at the Heartless. Riku stared in momentary shock as Sora turned and slashed at a few of them before shooting again as he jumped up, hovering momentarily as he managed to get out of the center of the hoard and shot down a few more.

Sora's attire had changed to royal blue, jet black, and pristine white with blue mist tendrils. His eyes were focused as he dealt with the creatures coming at him. Riku drew his Keyblade again and went after the others as his mind kept running at top speeds to figure out what he was seeing as his focus was split between the Heartless and his friend. The sight wasn't quite shock or confusing per se; however it did cause him to feel moderately concerned and unsure of what was happening, which was a sensation he wasn't quite keen on. Within a matter of moments, though, the two of them had ended up back-to-back, and as they felt the presence of one another, he heard the other boy laugh.

"Nice of you to join the party." Riku sighed.

"I really don't see how this is a party," he stated as the other chuckled a bit.

"Yea, well….depends on your outlook. I'm enjoying myself…" the silver-haired Keyblade Master glanced at his childhood friend and took a second to assess his changes.

"You look different…what's with the costume change?" Sora rolled his eyes and looked at the Heartless surrounding them.

"Is that all you've got?" Riku smirked.

"Nah, but…I do want an explanation for the appearance change," he stated.

"I figured…..let's deal with these damn things first….then we can play the twenty questions game, okay?" a nod came from Riku.

"Gotcha, so….what's the plan?" Sora laughed faintly.

"I'll take the ones on the left, you take the ones on the right?" another nod.

"Sounds good to me…" Sora raised his Keyblade up, and Riku elected to ask about it later as he gave it a brief look.

"Then let's take out the trash." With that, the two of them jumped into the fray.

 **{Twilight Town: Northern Square: 5:40am}**

Sora sat upon the ground, leaning back against his palms and arms, gulping down deep breaths of air while Riku remained crouched over on his hands and knees in a very similar situation. The Heartless had at long last ceased in their onslaught, and finally they were allowed to rest as Twilight Town became peaceful and silent once more. It had become quite a wonder to them that none of the inhabitants had come across them at this point; however, they accounted that as one of their few blessings of the evening as they both remained upon the ground, breathless and exhausted due to the decent two-hours-worth of fighting. Riku glanced towards Sora, who was still adorned in the blue, black, and white attire while his Keyblade remained at his side on the off chance that a stray Heartless was standing around somewhere. The silver-haired teenager found himself rather curious at this point and decided that the momentary desire to rest would be the best time to ask his questions.

"So…..when did….you change….clothes?" he asked. Sora took in a deep breath.

"Oh…this? It's not a change of clothes, really….I received this in a potion form known as a Drive Potion…..it's a magical ability that allows me to use certain elements and adapt them for strength purposes. I can use this one, which is the element of water and ice and it allows me to strength the spell Aquaria and Blizzara. This one is more magic-based,though, so it works well with all types, but is particularly strong with those two….why?" Riku gaped at him.

"You were using magic?" Sora sat up and looked at him.

"Yea, I can use magic; so can you, remember? What? Did you hit your head or something, Riku?" he asked as the silver-haired teenager looked at him. Cyan eyes lingered on sky blue ones as Riku frowned and stood while Sora did the same.

"Your eyes are different," he said. Sora blinked a bit as he approached and looked at the royal-blue color of his friend's right eye.

"Um…yea….that happens with all my Drive Forms…my right eye will change colors…" Riku looked him over once more and then turned his attention towards the Keyblade.

"And what's with that Keyblade?" Sora held it up in front of him.

"We both received Keyblades after our Mark of Mastery exam; this is the one I received: Wisdom Crystal. Its abilities are magic, long-range-based, so it works really well with this Drive Form: Wisdom Form." He looked to Riku, who was giving him an unsure expression.

"Why didn't you mention it?" the boy frowned as he shrugged a bit.

"I….to be honest….didn't see a point in just saying: Oh! By the way, I have five or so forms I can turn into that give me these special skillsets that allows me to kill Heartless faster! Yea…can you imagine how well Kairi or the others would take this?" Sora stated as he gestured to himself while Riku sighed.

"You have a point….but it is pretty badass. But….when did you gain this ability?" he asked as he looked at the smaller teen.

"I, um….after I completed a task for Merlin the Blue Wizard…..before I went through the rest of my first round with all this…." Riku shook his head, sighing as he looked to the other.

"Anything else you're hiding from us?" he questioned as Sora smiled.

"You'll see the rest in due time, I'm sure….Riku…" the tone the chestnut-haired boy's tone suggested a choice and also a guarded reason of which the other was decidedly not ready to venture a guess at.

"Being around Sora tends to result in some pretty intense mind-fucks….and I think I've had my mind screwed with enough tonight, thank you…" he thought as he watched Sora vanish Wisdom Crystal. The blue attire he noted was certainly going to be noticed; it wasn't because it was flashy, but Sora didn't typically wear the color, and Kairi would have noticed it instantly.

"Can you change back?" he asked suddenly. The other laughed.

"Yea, no problem." The boy closed his eyes, and seconds later, the clothing changed back to his normal attire as the blue one vanished in a small series of pale-blue lights.

"Interesting…" Sora smiled a bit at him.

"We should go, the others are going to be worried," with that he started to walk off and Riku frowned.

"This is going to get worse….I just know it…"

"By the way Riku?" Sora called to him and the silver-haired teen looked to him.

"What?" a smirk appeared on the blue-eyed boy's features.

"I won the game; you owe me…" the soon to be seventeen-year-old Keyblade Master groaned.

"The last thing I wanted was to be indebited to you….who knows what sort of crazy scheme you'll conjure for me to deal with!" Riku stated as Sora laughed and started back towards the house.

"You'll just have to wait and see…" cyan-eyes narrowed.

" _Well…my life is about to get interesting…."_

 **{Border of Twilight Town: 7:00am}**

With a heavy sigh, a black-haired, midnight-blue-eyed seventeen-year-old boy with fair, almost white skin stretched and sat up to look towards the town from the top of the hill he was settled on. The boy had been sent by someone to keep tabs upon the three Keyblade Bearers that were present within the town whilst there could be two other potential ones in the world as well. The boy groaned, propping his leg up a bit whilst he rested his head upon his palm and looked directly down upon the city. As he sat there, his mind wandered while he heard the sound of footsteps behind him.

"Hey! Noct!" midnight-blue eyes looked towards the three figures that were headed up the hill.

"Morning, Prompto…." The boy stretched again as he stood.

"Did ya sleep well?" asked the blonde.

"As well as I could with all the chaos unfurling in the streets…." Prompto slung his arm around the black-haired teenager's shoulders as the boy gave him a rather bland expression.

"It was quite the skirmish. Might I inquire as to what has happened, Noctis?" Ignis probed as he fixed his glasses.

"The Heartless were getting a little rambunctious, so our two resident Masters had to step in…" he stretched again and sighed before Gladiolus stepped in.

"Noctis, I wanted to ask…..why is it that we were sent here?" he asked the young Prince as the boy took in a deep breath and looked to the sun as it settled within the sky.

"Actually, _I was sent here_ …you three just decided to act as stowaways…" Noctis turned and crossed his arms over his chest as he gave the three a scowl.

Ignis, Gladio, and Prompto had gone through an entire adventure with the Prince of Lucis that had ended in chaos and disaster that had nearly granted their home world of Eos a place amongst the worlds lost in the Realm of Darkness; and what was more: it had nearly cost them their future King's life. The boy before them would become the King once he was twenty years old and until then had been forging alliances with the other worlds and had become comrades with those in the World Tree Coalition. Noctis, for the last while, had been working hard alongside the Keyblade Bearers and had even gone into battle alongside Cloud Strife and Sora Seiren during the now sixteen-year-old's first adventure through the worlds at his stop in the Coliseum. Now, though, Noctis was doing a bit of spying on request from someone within the World Tree Coalition.

"So? Where you go we go….remember?" Prompto stated.

"Yea, yea…." Ignis sighed.

"I suppose the reason we were sent here to keep an eye upon our three dearest Keyblade Bearers is because of this being their first assignment?" Noctis shook his head.

"Nah, it's really because Master Yen Sid requested me to watch out for Sora….something about us having a lot in common….or something like that…." He stated as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Well then…what's your job?" the young Prince looked towards the others.

"Oh, no….it's not just me anymore. The three of you are here; so now it's the four of us…." Prompto sighed.

"I was afraid of that. No offense, buddy, but between your weirdness and that Keyblade Master's, I think I've had a lifetime full of insanity and oddities…" the blonde's statement caused the black-haired seventeen year-old to smirk just enough to show sharp canines as he shrugged and then sighed, displaying the same sharpened teeth before he turned his attention back towards the city.

"Last I checked, nothing about our lives has ever been normal," Noctis stated as he looked to Prompto.

"You got me there. Okay, so….what are we doing here?" he kept his gaze towards the town.

"If Sora, Riku, and Kairi need our help….then we'll be their back-up if the Heartless swarm again…besides…." Ignis frowned.

"Besides what, exactly? Noct?" he inquired.

"I think Sora has found the other two Keyblade Bearers….."

 **{…}**

 _You know my head, you know my gaze….._

 **{…..}**

 **Author's Note:** So, there have been a lot of insane things going on. My mom and I had a falling out and I am now in the process of trying to find a job and an apartment. I started a part(e)on account so that I can continue to bring the chapters for my fans that I truly adore. I also want to apologize for the insanity of not updating in forever in a day; I hope that you guys haven't given up on this series: I promise…it's not going to be like the wait for Kingdom Hearts III.

I hope you guys are having a great day or night wherever you are,

ShadowDragon94.

Preview:

"This is insane…"

"There's something wrong with them."

"Sora? Are they really…"

"We're running out of time."

Chapter 14: Weaponized


	14. Chapter 14: Weaponized

Day 14: Weaponized

 **{Twilight Town: August 23** **rd** **, 2013, 9:04am}**

Kairi looked to Sora as he sighed in exhaustion while he sat on the bed in the guest room that she, Sora, and Riku were sharing. The two boys had been up almost the entire night trying to put a stopper in the swarm of Heartless that had descended upon the town during the midnight hours. While Riku seemed as though he was feeling just as tired, they both were prepared for the day only because they had a lot more to do as just take it easy. Kairi sighed as she sat down next to Sora who looked to her in questioning as Riku finished tying his sneakers up and then looked towards his two friends.

"You two gonna make it?" asked Kairi.

"We've been through worse on less sleep. Anyways, Sora…" sky-blue eyes met cyan ones.

"Hmm?" he hummed as he waited for Riku to finish his question.

"About what you said last night regarding the Keyblade Bearers?" Kairi gave Sora a confused look.

"Sora? What's going on?" the chestnut-haired sixteen-year-old sighed.

"I think that Roxas and Namine are the two Keyblade Bearers we're looking for," he answered.

"What?! No way! That's not possible, Roxas and Namine don't…." Kairi's shocked words were cut off by the look that Sora gave her.

"I have almost no doubt that they are the Keyblade Bearers that Master Yen Sid sent us here to get. It's a gut feeling, but my instincts aren't wrong normally, and I don't see why they would start being incorrect now of all times," Sora stated as he looked down.

"So…what do we do now?" Riku stood in silence momentarily, arms crossed over his chest before he sighed.

"It's obvious isn't it? We've gotta find a way to tell them the truth," he said bluntly.

"But, Riku…they barely know us and…." Sora shook his head as he turned to face Kairi.

"We can't help that they've been chosen. Just like none of us could…" Riku nodded while Kairi felt her eyes burn a bit.

"This is insane…why were they chosen? What does this mean?" Sora stood and grabbed Kairi's hands in his as he looked to her.

"Namine has a bond with you – your sisters after all – but she also has a link to Roxas who has some kind of connection with me…. these dreams he's been having since the start of this year…I remember those conversations and interactions, so I know they weren't just by mere chance. Whatever is going on, Roxas and Namine are in to deep even if they don't realize it," he explained as Kairi took in a slightly shaky breath.

"That doesn't change the fact that this is absurd…we shouldn't be having to do this kind of stuff…. we're just a bunch of kids!" Sora nodded and crouched a bit to pull Kairi into his arms.

"I know, but this is what fate decided for us…. we have to accept it even if it doesn't make a lot of sense right now," he told her this and she wiped her eyes before he let go and she stood.

"Yea, I guess…. but…. how are we going to explain this to them? They won't know what to think and I doubt they'll believe anything we say…" Riku shrugged.

"We've dealt with skeptics before: _remember our parents?_ " he inquired.

"God, I was hoping I wouldn't have to think back to that day…. that was terrible…" Riku and Kairi laughed at the displeased expression on Sora's face.

"Let's go down and see what happens today and we'll go from there. Okay?" Riku suggested as the other two nodded slowly.

"I guess, but…we're almost out of time, aren't we?" Sora shrugged once and looked to Kairi.

"Well, I'm not too worried about that. Think about what's coming our way soon and focus on explaining this to them when the time is right. Master Yen Sid will just have to forgive us if we're a bit late…. sometimes things won't clear up precisely when you want them too." Riku sighed.

"Fine, but if this goes haywire: _you're getting the blame_ ," he stated as Sora smirked.

"That wouldn't be exactly fair…. now would it Riku?" the other two Keyblade Bearers sighed.

"Point taken… come on imp let's go," Riku said as he left the room and Kairi grabbed Sora's hand, causing him to look at her.

"Kairi?" she smiled.

"We'll figure it out, right?" she asked.

"Yea, of course we will." Sora gave her a reassuring smile and she nodded as they exited the room while Sora only hoped that he was right in telling Kairi those things.

 **{Downstairs: 9:20am}**

Roxas looked towards his friends as they chatted with Sora, Riku, and Kairi as Namine, Olette, and himself worked on cooking breakfast. Sora had just finished setting the table for them and quickly went to helping the others with getting dishes washed as he went to work on clearing the potential mess while Pence started drying them. Roxas admittedly found himself falling into a bit of peace as he worked alongside everyone in the kitchen of his home. It was an oddity seeing as they had technically just met Sora, Riku, and Kairi, but he was happy. Ocean-blue eyes looked towards Sora as he finished with the dishes and went to chop up a few strawberries and apples while his mind went through a series of thoughts that rooted itself within the dreams he had been having up until recently.

Sora was vastly different from what he remembered in his dreams, yet he also was every bit like his dream counterpart. The chestnut-haired, sky-blue-eyed sixteen-year-old was witty, humorous, snarky, sarcastic, intelligent, and very charming when he wanted to be in addition to being very compassionate and helpful but despite all of these good qualities he was finding in someone whom he believed would become a friend: _there was something wrong_. Sora was hiding something, and he knew deep down that it was a very serious situation, but what was he to do? Roxas bit his lip as he continued on with his work but considered how to bring the topic up. Sighing, he had a bit of an idea come to mind that regarded both of their pasts. What was Sora's family like? Where did he grow up? What did he like and dislike? The blonde paused as he felt a rush of discomfort come over him when he realized that he truly didn't know anything about the boy or his friends.

"Hey, Sora?" asked Roxas as he sat a few of the items onto the counter.

"Yea?" sky-blue met eyes the color of the sea.

"I was wondering…what was it like where you grew up?" the chestnut-haired teenager seemed to brighten up a bit.

"Well…. Riku, Kairi, and I grew up on the Islands… so, it's very tropical where we grew up. Lots of sand and the vast ocean surrounding you. There were so many different kinds of plants and creatures living there that you could never really learn them all… it was… peaceful…" Olette frowned at the boy's words.

"The way you say that…. it makes it sound as though it isn't anymore," she stated.

"It is, but…. I left when I was thirteen and went on this wild adventure with people I hardly knew, I was trying to help Riku and Kairi….and I saw so many different people, place, and things that it kind of shocked me how little I knew about the world. Now I just…. don't really feel at home there. I guess it's because I stayed away for almost two years that once I returned it felt… I don't know…. as though I didn't belong there anymore…" Roxas glanced down.

" _That's how I feel here…. I don't like admitting it, but I've been feeling that strange lurch inside my chest that keeps begging me to take a step forward and away from this place I've known for so long…and that I don't need to be here anymore…"_

"So, you left to help Riku and Kairi? But you ended up staying gone for over a year? Why?" asked Pence.

"I had some pretty crazy things happen and I got hurt pretty bad….so I had to stay longer where I was. But once that was over I returned home and found myself out of place within the flow of where I grew up, so I stayed for a bit but soon got an offer from a certain friend I had made along the way and he extended the offer to Riku and Kairi. Before we knew it, we were working for this guy I had made a friend of and he was sending us to school, and gave us a pretty good pay…" Namine frowned.

"I'm sensing a however in here somewhere," she said in a unsure tone.

"Yea, Riku and I went on this assignment from him to collect a special artifact for him and something went wrong, and we ended up in a basic war with these people who also wanted it. The next thing we know we're in a mix of a hostage situation and a battle that would put Jason Borne to shame… needless to say that once our other allies came in and it was all said and done… we were in rough shape…. we're still recovering from some of it, but he decided that we needed a vacation and we were recommended Twilight Town, and he also asked if we would be on the lookout for anything that seems like it would be of use to him or his partners at any point. So, we're looking for two special items as well, but we were given an extended pay for our efforts." The group found themselves lost for words until Hayner shook his head and glared to him.

"So, what? Are you guys like Indiana Jones or something?" he asked. Riku laughed at his statement before shaking his head in defeat.

"No, we're more like…. a mix between Indiana Jones and Sherlock Holms with a dash of Jason Borne. It's our job to find old or odd objects, and bring them to our boss who grants them to museums or private collectors who he knows will respect them." Olette smiled.

"That sounds like a lot of fun! What kind of things have you found?" she asked.

"All kinds of things: weapons, books, gems, paintings, sculptures, odd-ball objects, and things like that. When we got roughed up we were recovering a book for him…" Sora pulled the teapot off the back eye and started to pour a cup for himself and Kairi before looking to Namine who nodded alongside Roxas who shook his head and poured himself a cup of coffee.

"All that over a book?" asked Roxas.

"Yea, you'd be amazed at what some books are worth…" Namine rose an eyebrow.

"How much was the book you guys were carrying worth?" she inquired.

"More than any of us could make in six lifetimes…." The teenagers felt their eyes widen.

"What the hell kind of guy collects that kind of stuff?" asked Hayner.

"A man with a lot of special contacts, and influence…" Namine shook her head.

"Good grief Kairi, it sounds like you three have it made," she stated.

"Yea, aside from the momentary life-and-death struggles for priceless artifacts? We're set for life…." Sora grabbed a plate and started to put a few items on it as he continued the conversation.

"Did you guys go through training or something?" asked Pence.

"Not exactly…. Sora was taught on the fly and so was Riku for the most part. I'm being given formal training though."

"So, what? Are you a ninja or something?" questioned Hayner in a sarcastic manner as Sora shrugged.

"Not really, but I know I can take down a person twice my weight and height in a matter of seconds…" the blonde swallowed anxiously.

"Sora is pretty good at combat, plus weaponry so he's got some natural skill. Not to mention his mom put him in martial arts classes for several years, so he's pretty covered in that area too," Riku explained as he sat down while Kairi sat next to Sora who smiled a bit.

"Oh…. remind me not to get on your bad side…" Roxas began to eat while the others joined in doing the same before Olette looked at the three across from her.

"So, you guys are here on a break, but you're also looking for something? What is it?" inquired the brunette.

"There are these two…. weapons…. we've been trying to find. They're very old and have some very great worth. Finding them, it's vital," Sora's statement seemed to surprise the others.

"Two… weapons? Do you know what they look like?" sky-blue met their ocean counterpart.

"In a way… one is bronze toned supposedly and has the shape of a key," Sora mentioned as he grabbed a sugar cube from the bowl and put it into a tea cup where Namine had just finished pouring the tea she'd made for breakfast.

"A… key shaped weapon?" the memory of the weapon Roxas had drawn during the fight in the town square somewhat startled the blonde as he considered the memory of Namine's drawing and of Sora himself.

" _So, that wasn't just a dream? That weapon actually exists?!"_

"Yea, it's very old and is worth a lot to certain people," Riku stated as Olette frowned.

"My question is… what kind of weapon has that much worth? Is it some kind of historical artifact?" Sora took a bite of the apple on his plate.

"Um… well… it's definitely historical… but its not really in the record books. According to the story, there were several of them made, and they were meant to choose someone who would help save the world. They're supposed to have some supernatural power," he told them as the others looked to one another.

"And you guys believe in that stuff?" Sora smirked a bit.

"What I believe is that there are things in this world that we cannot fully comprehend. And this key weapon and its counterparts… they're just the bare surface of what powers exist within the realm of the living and far beyond it," he said.

"And some people actually want a weapon that could be like that?" the boy's sharp blue eyes looked to the others.

"Yes, there are some people who would kill for that kind of power." Roxas glanced down at the statement, not talking anymore about the subject as breakfast continued in silence.

It was some fifteen minutes later that Roxas and the others were finishing up with their work on cleaning the kitchen and told Sora, Riku, and Kairi to wait on the porch outside so that they could plan out what to do for the day seeing as the three teenagers had mentioned that they wanted to see the town. As Roxas started putting dishes in the drying wrack, he thought back on what Sora said. Somehow, he had known about the key-shaped weapon that was here in Twilight Town, the only question was: did he and the others know it was with him? Sighing, he finished his task and Hayner came over to him, Olette, Pence, and Namine doing the same. Without question, all of them were a bit spooked by the notion of something going on with these three people, but what it was, none of them were exactly certain.

"Listen, Roxas…" Hayner started.

"What?" the blonde frowned.

"Don't let Sora and the others know that you have that weapon they're looking for," he told him.

"Hayner, you can't be serious! If that's something so important, then I have no right keeping it… besides, what if those people who came after them come for us?" Pence sighed.

"Our concern is that Sora and the others are the ones who are the threat, not the other way around," he mentioned.

"You think they're… wait! You think that Kairi… _Namine's sister!_ Would do something like attack us?!" Namine glanced down.

"It's possible that she doesn't know how dangerous the situation is… that Sora and Riku are a threat… even if she grew up with them… Sora was gone for a year, so for all we know something could have changed him," she admitted this as Roxas stared.

"What if we're wrong? And all we're doing is making an assumption, based upon one thing that was said by Sora who only answered our questions? Then what?" the blonde inquired.

"Roxas has a point there. If we mistrust them when they have no intention of doing anything to harm anyone and are just trying to find out where this supposed key-weapon is… then we might be causing trouble for them more than they intended to for us." Olette reasoned this and the others thought it over before Pence sighed.

"Here's an idea: let's try and find out what they're hiding, because we know they aren't telling us everything. Let's figure out what's going on," he suggested.

"Okay… we'll see what we can find out…"

Roxas did not like this situation, not one bit. There was a great part of him that desired nothing more than to fully trust Sora, and because he felt that want to trust him, he in turn wished to trust Riku and believe in Kairi because of her association with Namine. However, with the thought of those three being more of a threat than they were perceived to be looming in his mind, Roxas found himself being unable to avoid the notion that lingered in his thoughts. If they were truly enemies, then there would be clues, chinks in the armor, holes in the stories told, and lies that weren't fully planned out. Due to those details, Roxas and the others would be able to find the truth, and if there truly was no other story: then they would learn that in time as well.

 **{Town: 10:40am}**

With little difficulty, Sora, Riku, and Kairi could admit that Twilight Town was a beautiful place, the sun seeming to be in an eternal set, casting warm orange hues across the city, granting it a tranquil and at ease sensation. Time seemed to stand still in this little town; however, at the time, they couldn't quite enjoy the serene beauty of this place near the ocean, they had far more serious matters to attend to. Releasing small bits of information here and there towards Roxas and Namine would give them answers and allow them to think up what needed to be done without having to cause to much trouble for them in case they were mistaken.

However, Sora, despite his mild doubt, knew that he wasn't wrong when it came to suspect that Roxas and Namine were who they were looking for. It wasn't because he wanted to be right, or desired for it to be them – in fact, if he could avoid it, he would have preferred to leave them out of the situation – but with that in mind, Sora knew he should prepare himself for what would come of this current problem. Taking in a deep breath, he continued to walk along the streets with the others, listening to the conversations picked up here and there while his mind reeled from the situation.

" _Dragging them into this… isn't something I want to do… but… knowing that I have to it kind of… makes me feel like I'm the bad guy or something. Is this why the King looks so guilty sometimes when he looks at me? Or is it because I remind him of someone else?"_

"Hey, Sora?" sky-blue eyes looked to teal ones.

"Yea? What is it Olette?" the brunette girl thought for a moment.

"You seem a bit distracted, are you okay?" she questioned.

"Just thinking is all… the entire thing about that weapon is bugging me…" Hayner gave him a questioning look.

"What do you mean?" he inquired as Sora thought for a moment, putting his arms behind his head as he kept walking.

"Well… finding it is turning into a wild goose chase… but I keep getting this feeling that it's closer to us than we think…" the chestnut-haired teenager glanced towards Roxas who internally winced.

" _Does he know?"_

"Closer than you think? How can you be sure?" asked Namine.

"Sora has this weird gut instinct thing that for some reason makes it really easy for him to pick up on things. He's always been hyper aware of other people's feelings and things like that, so he naturally has this knack for finding out stuff we need to know." Riku's explanation had some of the others tensing.

"I see… hey, do you guys wanna see the best view in all of Twilight Town?" asked Pence.

"The best view?" Kairi looked to them, having remained beside Sora.

"Yep, we'll get some sea salt ice cream and head up, sound good?" the trio looked to one another.

"Sure, lead the way, you're the tour guides," stated Sora.

As they walked, Roxas considered what he had been hearing in the prior conversation, wondering if Sora knew that he had this weapon they were looking for, and if he did know: how did he exactly? Was it the kind of strange sixth sense that Riku mentioned? Or was it because of the strange dreams he had been having? His mind reeled from the multiple thoughts that sprang forth, and what they all could mean. The idea that the situation he and the others had gotten into was dangerous crossed his mind again as he glanced towards Sora who was talking with the others alongside Kairi and Riku. Imagining Sora as threatening or lethal was something Roxas could admit that he wasn't fond of considering: but what could he do?

If the others were right and Sora, Riku, and Kairi were more of a threat than they had thus far shown themselves to be, what could any of them truthfully do. Becoming a target was not one of Roxas's ideal situations; however, being on the receiving end of a threat that could claim his or the other's lives also wasn't on his list of alternatives either. The blonde sighed as they stepped into one of the local shops near the clock tower, and went to get the ice cream before they would head to the top of the tower where they would be able to show the three tourists what they considered the best view in their town. However, as they got the ice cream, Roxas stood nearby Sora, Riku, and Kairi all of whom were hanging back after having handed off their part of the amount needed for the ice cream, the three of them were talking in hushed tones, and unfortunately, Roxas was close enough to hear the conversation.

"When are you going to handle the situation? We can't take much longer," Riku muttered as he looked to Sora.

"Just trust me to deal with it okay? I know what I'm doing." Kairi frowned.

"If we're not careful though things could get messy," she stated.

"I know, don't worry Kai I've got an idea. within the next couple of days, we'll have what we came here for." Riku frowned.

"And what about Roxas and Namine?" the blonde went stiff at the mentioning of his and his girlfriend's names.

"Oh, I wouldn't be concerned about that… they won't be a problem. We came here to get something, and we'll be doing just that. Roxas and Namine won't be standing in the way of what we need," Sora explained.

"They're involved though, how to we resolve this?" sky-blue eyes looked to the other two.

"We take care of it, just like all the other times, okay? Stop worrying, the King trusted us to handle this alone and we're going to, quickly and as painlessly as possible." Roxas felt the bottom of his stomach drop out at the words he heard, his heart picking up speed as his mind tried to find an explanation on what was happening that didn't involve anything relating to what he thought he was hearing, but he couldn't.

 **{…..}**

 _You'd know my heart, if you knew your place…._

 **{….}**

 **Author's Note:** I'd like to take a moment to apologize to my readers of the Kingdom Hearts stories. I have been trying to build up the events going on elsewhere in later events of this series so that when we get up to that point I won't have to scramble to explain all of these things to you guys and you won't have to wait weeks on end for updates.

At current, some new characters and events have been added to the World Tree Series fanfictions and I am trying valiantly to get the Kingdom Hearts stories written out so that we can get caught up with this stuff as soon as possible; however, there have been a few major things happening in my life that kept me from getting any work done.

I plan on making a list for the readers to check on my profile for the World Tree Series timeline; however, I might also just upload it at the end of the KH: Genesis story for you guys to check into. Let me know which you'd prefer, so that way you all know the planned stories for the series. Well, I love all of you guys and I can't wait to see what you have to say on the rewrite of Birth by Dreams, seeing as it's finally up and finished. Let me know.

Sincerely,

ShadowDragon94.


	15. Chapter 15: Heartless

Day 15: Heartless

 **{Roxas's House: August 24** **th** **, 2013, 7:00am}**

"Would you sit down? Your starting to make us dizzy," stated Pence as he watched his friend pace back and forth.

"If I could calm down, I would!" Namine sighed.

"Alright, let's think about this logically for a minute, shall we?" she suggested.

"And how do we do that when there are three people who are more than likely killers upstairs?!" Roxas flinched.

"I never said they were going to kill us…"

It had been an emotional roller-coaster ride for several hours recently. After everyone had come home, Roxas had explained to everyone just outside about what he had overheard in the conversation between Sora, Riku, and Kairi. It had been a rather difficult to explain topic, but once he had finished, Pence, Hayner, Olette, and Namine had opted for staying the night, camping out in the living room or sharing a room with Roxas. Now though, they were facing the dilemma of how to best handle the situation that they stood within. Could they trust the three teenagers that they had met? Or were the five of them in a situation far beyond their grasp? Roxas stood in the middle of his living room, his thoughts wavering to and fro from his memories that stemmed from his dreams, and the boy he had met in real life.

"You never said they wouldn't hurt us either," Hayner pointed out as Roxas looked to him.

"Sora isn't that kind of person! I know him! He wouldn't – "Olette glanced down.

"Roxas, what you know about Sora comes from dreams you had that somehow involved him. That doesn't make you an expert on him," she stated.

"Olette…" Namine glanced to the side.

"I'll be the first to admit, I don't like the idea of my sister being wrapped up in some kind of mess like this… and I want to believe that Sora and Riku aren't people like that… but…" Roxas took in a steady breath.

"Let's just… talk to them," he said. Everything went silent for a moment, the four others thinking of what he'd just suggested.

"Are you crazy or something?! If they really are dangerous… then we'll be putting ourselves in harms way!" the blonde frowned.

"And if we stand here making accusations, pointing fingers, and talking when we're not really sure of what we're dealing with! We've got two choices as of this moment! Either wait and see what happens, or actually find out by asking for the truth. If they chose not to give it to us, then fine, but at least we'll know something," he stated.

Namine sighed as she listened to the conversation going on around her. It seemed far to fantastical to be genuinely true; however, she suspected there wasn't much she could do to change anyone's opinion without uncovering the truth. Taking in a deep breath, she looked to Roxas, seeing the concern in his eyes as she nodded slowly, knowing then and there that the only way this was going to be resolved, would be to confront Sora, Riku, and Kairi as swiftly as they could.

"Let's talk to them…" everyone looked to her.

"Namine, you can't be serious! I know that Kairi is your sister and everything but…" the blonde-haired artist shook her head.

"It has nothing to do with her being my sister. This has to do with what's really going on… there's some part of me that knows for a fact that this isn't what we're assuming it is, and I want the truth just as much as the rest of you," she stated.

The group of five glanced down, thinking about what was being said, all eyes looking towards one another before they collectively nodded. It was then and there, that they began to devise a plan to best handle the situation, and decided upon their strategy just as Sora, Riku and Kairi joined them downstairs. The group chose to be out in the open, opting for taking them to a small café that they went to occasionally in hopes of preventing anyone from being capable of threatening them, or someone making a scene.

Sora had just smiled and went along with the idea of exploring the town more, Riku, and Kairi both seemed equally excited as they headed out; however, Roxas had a sneaking suspicion that they knew something was off. Perhaps they had overheard the conversation? Or was it just that they noticed the slight nervous tremble of their hands, the shifting of their eyes, or other tiny details that pinpointed that they were up to something suspicious? He couldn't be sure even as they sat down at the café and placed their orders a moment later. It was quiet, the conversations were lax between all of them, but a faint air of anxiety was around all of them, and he knew deep down that Sora at the very least had already picked up on it.

As the morning continued, the group began to relax some as they carried on different topics with the other three, laughing and acting as though they had all been friends for years. It was a peaceful moment, that Roxas would later look back on and recall with fondness as he thought about the current situation, and tried to pinpoint how to best handle breeching the subject. They were now walking down the pier, talking as the faint crashing of waves carried onward around them, the breeze picking up as they all spoke in eased tones and with jovial smiles.

Roxas glanced down, knowing this was about to come crashing down. Ocean-toned eyes looked to pale ice-blue ones as Namine nodded a bit, moving closer to him as the others started moving to give them all a little bit of space, remaining close, but far enough to hopefully escape if they needed to. Sky-blue eyes glanced to Roxas, the color seeming to become a shade darker as he kept their gazes locked. The blonde didn't want to admit it, but the look within those sharp blue eyes made him terrified to the point that he felt as though his legs were about to give out on him. The sensation of power he possessed there, made him wish to run, but his legs felt to weak to carry him, and as he stood just at arms-length from Sora and the others, he knew that the time had come.

"Hey um… Sora?" his tone was softer than he meant it to be, and as the chestnut-haired boy looked to him, he felt a knot form in his chest.

"Yea? What's up?" everyone eyed the blonde, being prepared to help if needs be.

"Listen I… overheard something… yesterday and I wanted to…" Kairi gave him a concerned look as Riku stepped a bit closer to Sora and the red-haired girl, sensing something amiss.

"Roxas? Guys? What's wrong?" she asked.

"Listen, we want to know something…" Sora nodded.

"What is it?" he questioned them and Roxas looked to him, fearful of the answer, but knowing he had no choice at this point.

"I want to know why you're really here. The story you told about being on vacation is a lie, and you looking for the weapon isn't entirely true either is it?" Sora gave him a confused look.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" he asked him this and Roxas took in a deep breath.

"The _King is counting on us? We'll handle it like we always do?_ What kind of game do you think you're playing at?! I know you're not who you've told us you all are! Now tell me the truth… who or… what are you?!" Roxas demanded. As they stood there, Sora took in a steady breath, a single hand coming up to the side of his head as he sighed, before crossing his arms over his chest as he shook his head.

"Man, I was hoping that you didn't hear that…" Olette looked to him.

"So… why are you really here?" she asked.

"We're here on official business…" Riku stepped forward, keeping a stern look upon his face.

"Official business?! For what?! Looking for some kind of Keyblade or –" Roxas stilled as Sora looked to him, a faint smirk at the corner of his lips.

"Bingo… what did I tell you guys? _He's the one_ ," Sora stated as he looked to Riku who sighed in defeat alongside Kairi.

"I wish you were wrong…" Namine looked to her sister.

"Kairi… what on earth are you doing? I don't understand…" the blonde trailed off as Kairi looked to her.

"Namine… I don't know how to explain this to you honestly… it's not easy," she admitted.

"How about you start with what the three of you are really here for?" Sora looked to Hayner.

"I'm afraid that we'll be asking the questions as of this moment. Roxas… you know the actual name of the weapon… which would lead me to believe that you're in possession of it right?" he probed, keeping his gaze on Roxas's friend.

"I-I…" a shiver raced up his spine.

" _What have I done? There's no telling what they'll do to us now…"_ he thought as Riku rolled his eyes.

"Answer the question Roxas…" the blonde felt his lips tremble as he started to open his mouth to speak.

"I-I ha – "before he could speak though, the area seemed to grow chilled, the foul stench of burning rubber covering the area as the group looked around, confused while Sora, Riku, and Kairi went on high alert.

"I guess they're back for round two," Kairi muttered.

"Yea… Kai? I need you to get the others back to the house, we'll meet up with you…" the red-haired girl looked to her boyfriend who was glancing her way.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Uhuh… now go… all of you follow Kairi back to Roxas's house, and don't leave it for anything. Kairi, put up a protection ward until we get there, okay?" the girl took in a deep breath.

"Right… let's move!" Kairi stated as she started towards the others.

"What? No! I want answers! What the hell is – "Hayner was cut off as a small black creature with large glowing yellow eyes appeared from nowhere and everyone froze.

"They've spawned! Move it!"

Before anyone could even fathom what was happening, the creatures began to multiply, rushing towards them and jumped upwards, aiming for the group of defenseless teenagers as Sora hissed as he raced forward, summoning the Kingdom Key to his hand as he jumped between the others and sliced through the Heartless, Riku following suit and summoning Way to the Dawn as Kairi called Destiny's Embrace to her hands. Those who had witnessed Roxas summon the weapon before found themselves unable to utter a word as they stared while Riku charged into the fray and Sora kept the strays off them.

"Go back to the house! Kairi put up the ward and hide!" she nodded.

"What's going – "sky-blue eyes turned to look at them, seeming to glow with a strange form of feral power.

"I SAID TO FUCKING MOVE DAMMIT!" he roared as the group of five started moving, being quick to run for their lives as Kairi kept up behind them, Sora and Riku looking to one another.

"Well, I didn't know you could swear like that!" he said. Sora rolled his eyes.

"Shut up, Riku! We can do witty banters later…. right now…I want to get these things on the defense." Riku smiled and looked at the other.

"What you got in mind?" Sora glanced to the side.

"Give me a sec, okay? I need to think…"

"Uh-oh, that's dangerous," he stated. Sora shot him a withered look.

"Who the hell swapped our personalities this morning?" Riku shrugged.

"Who knows, but whatever you're going to do, you better do it!" he said as he cut down more Heartless.

 _"Okay, there are two forms that would be best in this situation…Wisdom or Valor… with the close quarters…. Valor would be good, but Wisdom can use magic bullets…that makes it easier for me to just shoot at them, and Wisdom can both glide and fly…. But right now, I need more strength…"_

"Riku!" the silver-haired teen looked to him.

"You got a plan, Sora?" the brunette nodded.

"Yea, I'm going to use my Valor Drive Form… just give me a few seconds, okay?" Riku smirked.

"Okay, you got it!" Sora stepped back.

 _"I've never done a flip change… this'll be fun….as long as I don't end up in Limit Form…"_

with that, Riku jumped into the fray and Sora took in a deep breath, knowing that he hadn't had nearly as much practice with this Drive Form since he had received it, but knew it would produce the best effect at this point. Knowing nothing more could be done for the situation, Sora jumped to attack and cut a flip in the process.

Riku slashed through a Heartless and in the next instant felt a tremendous heat flare behind him as he turned around to see Sora standing in place with two Keyblades that seemed to be made of fire in his grasp, his clothing turned crimson with white lines upon it, fleur delis branded on the sleeves of his jacket and the bottom of his pants as he looked forward, his right eye having turned the same crimson color of the drive as he spun the blades in his grasp, looking forward as he went to attacking the Heartless, the Keyblades lighting aflame as he started to move to stand beside Riku.

"That was impressive, what do you call that trick?" Sora took in a deep breath.

"It's a magic flow ability called _flip change_ , for the most part, it's pretty basic… if you know how to use it… but seeing as I just learned how to do it... there was a risk of me messing it up…" Riku nodded. The fire around the Keyblades ebbing away for the time being.

"Do you know if you can control that Drive?" Riku inquired this as Sora laughed.

"Not really, but… I figured now was as good of a time as any…" the silver-haired teen shrugged.

"Then let's just hope you can handle it," he stated. The blue-eyed teen sighed.

"I can. This Drive is about the fire of the heart, it's mostly physical, so I'll be fine." Riku looked around them.

"Fitting for the situation…so… do you have any battle plans?" Riku questioned.

"Unfortunately, having a physical combat Drive Form doesn't mean it came with instructions on laying siege to an army bigger than you and whomever is with you… so… I thought we'd improvise?" the silver-haired teen laughed.

"You've always got something up your sleeve, huh?" the other smirked.

"Yep!" a cheery smile was heard in his voice, and Riku looked at the boy.

"Alright then, let's do this!" the Heartless turned to them and two jumped a bit ahead of the others. Riku looked to Sora who laughed before looking at a Heartless that had moved towards them.

"Go ahead, I need some stress relief right now as it is." Riku laughed as fire erupted around the two Keyblades once more.

"Well, this just got interesting." The silver-haired teen nodded, and the two of them prepared to engage in the second round of Heartless they had endured since arriving in Twilight Town.

 **{Roxas's House: 3:27pm}**

Kairi slammed the door behind her as the others finally got into the house and she began to think of the spell she had been taught to ward an area before she nodded, preparing the incantation in her mind as she stepped back, holding her Keyblade forward, as it lit up with a golden shade and then the door did the same, the shine spreading throughout the entire house like a wave of light until it was completely surrounding it. In that instant, Kairi turned the Keyblade and a loud locking noise echoed around them before the glow faded somewhat and she lowered the weapon to her side, a breath of relief coming from her as the others sat to the side, thinking of what they had just seen.

"We should be fine now. Sora and Riku will handle the rest," she said.

Kairi turned to look at the others, who all wore grim expressions at this point. The house was deathly still, not a word was spoken after her own. The floorboards did not creak, the windows were not opened to let in the light breeze, the kitchen wasn't alive with the sounds and scents of a cooking meal, and the group of people sitting before her were more akin to statues than anything else. Kairi had to admit, hearing the house so silent, made her anxious, and the fact that she and her protection spell were the only things standing between them and who knew how many heartless did not help the situation.

Aquamarine eyes looked around her, seeing what the others were doing as she noticed that most of them were shell-shocked as she stood near the door, her Keyblade rested at her side while the group seemed to be attempting to get their bearings. As she waited for them to gather themselves, Pence, Hayner, and Olette started to look her over, the weapon at her side, and the lot of them noticed the steadfast look she wore while they continued to piece together what had happened. Kairi knew with one look though, that the lot of them were to stunned to not question what they had just witnessed.

"W-What were those things?" asked Olette.

"Why did they come after us?"

"And those weapons! Why were they like the one Roxas had?"

"Sora and Riku are out there alone fighting who knows how many of those things…"

"We can't just leave them like that!"

"And what about earlier? Didn't we think they were dangerous?"

"Now isn't the time to be questioning that! We have to help them!"

"We should go back then and – "Kairi took in a deep breath.

"SHUT IT!" she bellowed, startling them.

The room went dead silent once more. The sudden eruption of questioning and figuring out what to do had been too much to handle, and she had started to develop a headache. At this point, Kairi was happy to silence them, seeing as she needed to think on how to best handle the situation. While she knew Sora and Riku could handle themselves fine on the battlefield – the Dream Drop and other instances had taught her that much – she wasn't entirely sure how to handle herself in this situation. Taking in a steady breath, she looked to the group of five.

"Okay, this is how things are going to work: we're staying put, and waiting for Sora and Riku to come back. Until then, you're going to do as I say, am I clear?" Kairi asked.

"What?! I don't think so! We should help them!" she shot them a glare.

"None of you would stand a chance. If anything, the lot of you would cause them more trouble. That was why they sent me with you guys to bring you back here… so that they could focus on the fight," she stated.

"And how do you expect them to handle that many of those things?" she sighed.

"This isn't the first time any of us have fought those things. We can handle ourselves…" Roxas took in a deep breath.

"Can you… at least answer some questions?" he probed.

"I… fine… just understand that if I can't answer it then don't push. Okay?" the group nodded slowly.

"Alright. What were those things?" asked Olette.

"Well, you see… those are creatures called Heartless. However, if I'm being honest… Sora or Riku could tell you more about them." The others nodded.

"Okay, and how do Sora and Riku know how to handle them?" enquired Hayner.

"Sora started fighting the Heartless when he was thirteen… Riku started fighting them not to long after, and I've been fighting them for a little less time than Riku did. I um… some things happened that resulted in us getting wrapped up in this mess…" Namine took in a deep breath.

"The three of you have the same weapon as Roxas does… how?" she probed.

"See… there are thousands of those weapons scattered across all the worlds… every star in the sky is a world… and because of that… each world has a Keyblade, which is their official name… and it's our jobs to find those Keyblades, and seal up the Keyholes of the world to prevent the Heartless from coming into the world." Pence gawked at the statement.

"Whoa, hold the phone… other worlds? Like a multiverse?" he asked.

"Yes, the number of worlds isn't exactly known, but each one of them have a Keyblade and a Keyhole… some of them are already sealed, from prior bearers of the Keyblade existing before us… but there are still many who aren't sealed. Because there are so many of them, people who can use a Keyblade are often chosen to help… and if Roxas possesses one of these… then that means he's – "before she could answer, the door rattled violently, startling everyone to their feet.

"Are they getting in?" asked Olette as they gathered close together, and Kairi pulled her Keyblade at the ready.

"Stay behind me…" Kairi started moving away from the door as it rattled once again, and then burst open. Everyone jolted, expecting to be attacked; however, instead, they were greeted by two familiar figures.

Sora had Riku's arm draped over his shoulders, and was holding him up by what seemed to be his belt as he walked forward with a limp. Riku frowned as he was helped by Kairi and the door was slammed shut behind them by the red-haired girl's spell as it started to fade away. Sora hobbled a bit towards one of the sofa's while helping Riku settle down before wincing as he sat next to him, and Kairi joined them. Kairi turned to Riku who shook his head, knowing that he didn't need medical attention at this moment while Sora only gave the red-haired girl his typical bright smile before it faded, and he glanced towards the others who were looking both confused and terrified of them.

It was apparent that finding an easy way of breaking the truth to them had failed on an epic proportion, and now they were going to be faced with answering their questions and having no means to get out of it. Earlier that day, Sora had been highly aware that the others were planning something, and that they would try to confront them; however, he had never anticipated it to be something quite like it had been, and he was certain it hadn't gone how they had plotted it out either. Sighing, he cleared his throat and looked at the others, preparing himself to speak.

 **{…..}**

 _I'll walk straight down, as far as I can go…_

 **{….}**

 **Author's Note:** I'm so happy to get this story going again. There's been so much happening lately, that I've started to wonder if I would ever get back to it. Well, here you guys go, chapter 15, and we're almost done. Let me know what you guys think.

Sincerely,

ShadowDragon94.


	16. Chapter 16: Keyblade

Day 16: Keyblade

"So… um…" Sora started to speak, but was cut off when Hayner sent him a glare.

"So? That's all you have to say after… whatever the hell that was?!" he asked.

"Yea… this wasn't supposed to turn out like this… um…" Riku glanced to Kairi, who bit her lip.

"How about we cut to the chase?" inquired Pence.

"Cut to the chase how?"

Roxas stood to his feet, steeling himself as he prepared to speak out about the things that he was currently feeling. Everything felt so strange, Kairi's half-baked explanations that didn't even cover an ounce of the questions he desired to have answered as he stood there, head bowed as he clenched his hands into fists before looking towards the others sitting just across from him. Now was the time to begin asking questions, because he knew nothing could stop them from telling the truth, no matter how much they wished it would happen.

"Let's start with what those things really were… the _Keyblades_ that all of you have? What the hell the three of you are exactly?" he snapped as Sora flinched a bit at that and Riku gave him a once over.

"Hold on just a minute, what gives you the right to talk like that?" Roxas glared.

"The right… since the start of this year I've had everything in my life turned upside down! First, it's all those damn dreams about you! _Sora!_ Then the Keyblade shows up, the monsters come… my friends have been put in danger… and things are spiraling out of control because I don't know what's happening… so I think at the very least we deserve to know the truth!" he growled out as Sora glanced down.

"We're just people…" he shook his head.

"Don't give me that shit! I don't want just an answer, _I want the truth!_ " the blonde demanded.

"It doesn't matter if you've had everything turned upside down! That doesn't mean you – "Sora placed a hand on Riku's shoulder.

"Riku?" the Dream-Eater looked to him.

"What?" sky-blue eyes looked up, meeting his own cyan gaze.

"It's okay, really. We need to explain this to them, and even though it's not how we wanted to go about it… this is for the best," Sora stated.

"Sora, if we just…" Kairi trailed off as he shook his head.

"We have no choice. King Mickey wouldn't want to endanger people by not letting them know what they've involved themselves in."

"Fine… just don't blame me if things go out of control…" Sora smiled a bit.

"K-King?" asked Pence.

"Yea, our boss is King Mickey Mouse. He's a bit of an interesting leader, but he does love people." Namine frowned.

"Okay… so, what's your real purpose for being in Twilight Town?" she inquired.

"To help two special people." Roxas glanced down.

"And… what about those things? The Heartless?" Sora sighed.

"As I said before, they're what shows up in a world that hasn't had the Keyhole sealed off. That doesn't indefinitely keep the Heartless from coming into the world, but it keeps the world safe," Kairi stated.

"So, you're telling us that even if the Keyblades and Keyholes are found and everything's sealed, the Heartless can still come to that world?" Riku nodded.

"That's the gist of it. But, they can't get to the heart of the world, and destroy it. If they do, it's not pretty, and everything is destroyed," he explained.

"Wait… so what happens to the people and creatures that live there?" Sora took in a deep breath.

"The Heartless are what those people become. When a world is destroyed, its consumed by darkness… because of that… the people who exist there lose their hearts to the darkness… and they also end up losing all sense of who they once were, resulting in them turning into monsters with no memory of their past selves," he stated while the others gaped at the information.

"Those things are… _people?_ Then you're… murderers! You just killed all those people!" declared Olette.

"NO!" Sora's sudden outburst startled the others, right down to Riku and Kairi who hadn't expected him to raise his voice in such a manner.

"Sora…" Kairi trailed off as the boy took in a shaky breath.

"No… we're not _killers!_ Those people… have no hopes of coming back. Believe me, when we take them out… it's merciful compared to ending up in a smothering darkness for the rest of eternity. We've been doing this for nearly three years… and that's because we have to… if you knew what it felt like… _to be swallowed up like that after losing your heart, your memories…_ of those closest to you, or forgetting your own name… you wouldn't say that we're murderers… in the end, we're saving lives and ending suffering." The group looked to him in bewilderment, as he took in a faintly deep breath, before clutching his pants legs to keep himself from trembling.

At some point or another, Sora knew that he would end up being labeled as a murderer. If anyone truly knew what the Heartless were made from, they would think the worst of him, and any other Keyblade Wielder, just as many worlds did of the prior generation of Bearers. In hindsight, he figured becoming a Keyblade Master, was akin to becoming a Master Assassin: you did the job you knew how to, because none could do it better than yourself. For him, that was fine, he had already heard the insults, the scornful tones people spoke in when it came to him and the weapon that he wielded; however, when Riku and Kairi took up Keyblades as well, he had become worried that they too, would ultimately end up being charged with the same burden. Now though, he was grateful for them being at his side, as it made the burden easier to bear.

"You sound like you're speaking from experience," Roxas stated.

"Because I… am. I did something that resulted in myself becoming a Heartless… Kairi was able to revive me… but we still aren't entirely certain how she did it." Pence narrowed his gaze.

"But you just said that they couldn't be brought back! If you could be returned to normal, then how can you think that you're being merciful when you kill other Heartless? _You're a hypocrite!"_ he said sharply.

"I was able to be brought back because my heart _isn't like normal humans_ … for some reason, I recognized Kairi even as a Heartless. Because I'm… abnormal… I was able to reach out to Kairi… I guess it's hard to explain when we're not even sure what really happened to start with…" Riku looked to them.

"We've asked the King before, and he explained that it was a special case… there's a less than one percent chance of it ever happening again with others," he stated.

"That's… insane… you were one of those things, and came back but others can't?" Kairi nodded.

"Sora recognized me even as a Heartless. No one has ever seen a Heartless prior to or since then do that around someone they knew," she said calmly.

"Alright… t-that aside… the three of you were hired by a King? To find two special people for what reason?" Sora looked to the side.

"That has to do with another one of your questions from a bit ago… it has to do with the Keyblade," he mentioned.

Sora stood and took in a deep breath as he held his hand out to materialize his main Keyblade. The Kingdom Key appeared in his hand, and he held it out to the others, who stared bewildered by the sight of it. Sora watched their eyes shift between the weapon and himself before Roxas stood slowly. Sky-blue eyes observed him as he came forward and looked at the Keyblade, a knowing look in his eyes as he stilled just before him. The reaction alone told Sora that his prior assumptions had no need to be questioned further about Roxas. All that remained now, was to see if Namine was the same way or not. The time had come to break the news to them.

"This is called the Kingdom Key. There are many Keyblades out there, as I'm sure Kairi explained earlier… but a Keyblade Wielder is someone who is chosen by this weapon, to aid in the defense of the worlds and seek out the Keyblades of those worlds, and the Keyholes in order to seal them and protect the worlds from the darkness. This is one of my Keyblades, the first one I ever attained when I began my journey. This Keyblade came to me when the world Riku, Kairi, and I called home was invaded by the Heartless and taken apart." Roxas took a steady step back.

"It looks like mine… but the color is off…" Sora nodded.

"This is the Silver Kingdom Key, from what I've been able to find out, there are others out there. Five in total: Gold, Silver, Bronze, Black, and White. You possessing one, means that you are a Keyblade Bearer, and as for the other person whom we believe to be a Bearer of the Keyblade…" sky-blue eyes looked to Namine who stiffened as she met his gaze.

"M-Me? But I… haven't drawn one…" Roxas stepped between them.

"How did you know that I have one?" Sora sighed.

"I can sense the energy around you. A Keyblade Wielder can often be sensed by Keyblade Masters, which both I and Riku happen to be. Namine and you were chosen by the Keyblade, and whether or not you've materialized them, that fact can't be changed," he stated. The two of them looked at the boy standing before Roxas with discomfort settled into their systems.

"So… what does this mean for us?" Namine inquired.

"That you need to pack up and come back with us. King Mickey has asked us to bring you two back to the Disney Castle and undergo training to become Keyblade Masters, like Kairi is now." Riku stood as he spoke and came to stand beside Sora, ignoring the faint pain in his ankle from the rough landing he'd endured earlier.

"What?! You expect us to just _leave with you?_ Hell no! I'm not going anywhere with –"Sora vanished the Kingdom Key and shot him a glare.

"You don't have a choice! Roxas, Namine, listen to me… the longer you stay here in Twilight Town, the – "Roxas cut him off.

"No! I don't care if I was chosen by this Keyblade or whatever! I don't want anything to do with this! If I leave my home _world_ or whatever the hell you wanna call it, I'm doing it by my own choice!" he snapped, shaking his head.

"You don't get to choose!" Riku narrowed his eyes at the other who glared back.

"I don't want any part of this! And I don't want Namine involved in this either! _No thanks!_ " Sora sighed in defeat as he stepped forward and looked to Roxas.

"Roxas, listen, you…" the blonde swung at him when he came to close; however, as he attempted this, the chestnut-haired boy caught his fist and twisted his arm. Pain ripped through him as Roxas went down on his knees and gritted his teeth as he tried to bear the sensation of his arm being bent the wrong way.

"Sora!" Kairi stepped forward, but was stopped when the boy shook his head.

"You're going to listen to me whether you like it or not Roxas," he said.

"Damn you… let go of me…" the sky-blue eyed sixteen-year-old tisked as he released the blonde who was thankfully caught by Hayner and Pence while Sora crossed his arms over his chest.

"You can curse me all you want… but it won't change the reality you live in. once a Keyblade marks you as a bearer… no matter how far you run, how hard you try to be something else, or where you go… the Heartless will find you, and attack you… not leaving… will put the lives of those you love at a great risk." Roxas swallowed thickly.

"How do I know you aren't lying?" he asked.

"I'm not lying, and you can tell I'm not..." Sora kept himself at ease, and the blonde looked into his eyes, and found himself staring in realization that every word Sora had just spoken, as completely true. He took in a raspy breath and then looked down.

"What's going to happen to us?" he asked as Sora sighed just a bit.

"Listen to me, okay? It's not as if you become a monster because of having a Keyblade. In fact, it gives you a chance to protect the ones you love. Despite that though, the moment a Keyblade chooses you, and you've encountered the Heartless… everything else that seeks out those who bear a Keyblade will find you… you're wearing a target on your back. All of the people you care for that stay around you, the ones who aren't Keyblade Bearers… they'll be in danger, yes… but you can protect them with the power you've been selected to wield." Roxas felt his eyes burn as he considered the situation and looked to Sora.

"Then we…" the Keyblade Master held his hand out.

"Come with us, we'll teach you, work with you as teammates, we'll make it to where you have the power and abilities to protect the ones you love." Ocean-blue eyes looked the sixteen-year-old over.

"Is it worth it?" he questioned, hesitating just a fraction.

"Yea, in the end it is."

Roxas looked at Sora from ground slowly and glanced towards Riku and Kairi who nodded and smiled to him as he took in a steady breath and then turned his attention back to Sora as he gulped and nervously reached for the others hand. The other hoisted him to his feet as the blonde looked into sky-blue-eyes, and felt some of his nerves lessen as Sora smiled, and Namine stepped forward to come to them. The others were still unsure, but for some reason that they couldn't explain, they felt as though Sora had gone from a strange acquaintance, to a questionable individual, and finally to a person who for some reason had started gaining their trust. How he had done so, they weren't certain, but for some reason, they felt as though their prior conceptions about him, were the furthest from the truth when it pertained to this boy.

"What's your choice?" Sora asked him as Roxas looked to Namine as he stepped back with her.

"Namine?" the pale blonde smiled a fraction.

"I understand where they're coming from, and I understand why I need to do this, so I will. And if it's not for myself, it'll be for my friends, and all of the people I haven't meant yet," she answered as she took Roxas's hand.

"Okay… Sora… Riku… Kairi… we'll go with you, and we'll become Keyblade wielders… who have the power to protect the ones we love…" the others behind them tensed.

"Are you two sure you want to do this?" asked Olette.

"Yea… it's for you guys… and the other worlds. For the people who haven't met before and the worlds… so we can protect our home world… we need to do this… and I… want to do this."

Roxas and Namine turned, and were suddenly enveloped in a set of tight embraces from their three friends. In that moment, the two blondes had chosen a path that would separate them from one another for a long time – possibly forever – but, if Olette, Hayner, and Pence knew that they were fighting to save lives from this terrifying fate, alongside people that they had now turned their attentions to, then they knew that the tow of them would be safe and sound. Despite whatever hardships that would come. Sora smiled brightly, Riku giving them a small smirk while Kairi gave a relieved look to them as Roxas and Namine returned their friends embraces.

"We'll be fine, guys…" Sora looked to them.

"I'm letting you know that we're leaving the day after tomorrow, okay? It'll give you some time to get things together," he stated.

"Seriously? So soon?" Riku nodded.

"Waiting to long isn't safe, and we were told to bring you guys back in just a handful of days. As it stands, we'll be a day late," he explained.

"Fine… we better start packing then…" Sora looked to Riku.

"Can you send a Dream Eater to King Mickey and have them set up a means for us to get to Disney Castle?" he requested.

"Yea, I'll send Komory, he's one of the fastest…" the others watched as Riku held his hand out and a small bright yellow circle appeared upon the floor before a colorful pink-orange-green-and yellow bat-like puff-ball creature appeared with a squeak of excitement.

"What on earth is that thing?" asked Pence.

"A Dream Eater, they're summons from the realm of Dreams that can be used to help Keyblade Bearers. Komory, can you help me please? I need you to take a message to King Mickey so we can get help to return there." The Dream-Eater seemed to bounce mid-air and nod as Riku went over by the door and grabbed the pen there, writing down a short message that he then handed to the colorful, fluffy-bat who twitched its ears and then vanished in a small puff of pink smoke.

"Alright, I'm gonna go help Roxas pack… I've had enough of weird things for one day," stated Hayner as he went up the stairs.

"This is going to take some getting used to…" Roxas admitted this with a faint trace of embarrassment as Sora laughed.

"I've been in this situation for almost three years now… and I'm still not used to it. So, don't feel to bad about being confused by portals, Dream-Eaters, finicky Keyblades, or weird happenings… it's part of the job description," Sora told him.

"Okay hooligans, let's help Roxas and Namine so they can go on insane adventures and save worlds, only to come back here and tell us about them when we're all old and sitting in rocking chairs on a front porch!" Pence's declaration had the group looking at him.

"Wow, I can tell you're an absolute _blast_ at parties." Everyone laughed at the statement before agreeing that Roxas and Namine could use the help.

Kairi and Olette went with Namine back to her apartment to help her out while Riku, Sora, Hayner, and Pence set to work on helping Roxas get the house he lived in cleaned up and his belongings packed away for whatever insane form of transportation would come to assist with that via Komory's return. As they started packing Sora recanted the events of Riku, Kairi, and himself packing up to leave the Destiny Islands and that Roxas should expect something somewhat odd to appear either in his closet or the next available large space in the house. Roxas only dreaded to ponder what on earth would appear now that everything had begun to prepare the departure of himself and Namine.

" _This is going to be the star of a new adventure… but… I'm not even going to doubt that training with Sora and Riku is going to be hell… not to mention everything else taking place."_ Roxas thought as Pence tripped on a randomized box.

"Yep… things just keep getting crazier and crazier…"

 **{….}**

 _I'll follow you if you follow me. I don't know why you lie so clean…_

 **{…}**

 **Author's Note:** And here's ch.16. originally, this would have been chapter 9 in the first story. To those of you who may have forgotten, or didn't find this story until now, the original title of this little story was _Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Dreams & Memories. _It totaled 13 chapters, and was written in the span of a three weeks. I elected to take more time with this story, and expand upon details, giving it a better fleshing out. Some stories will have that done, being completely taken down and redone; however, I kept getting side tracked. Well, problem solved. Let me know what you guys think, and I'll look for your reviews!

Sincerely,

ShadowDragon94.


	17. Chapter 17: Battle of Twilight

Day 17: Battle of Twilight

 **{Roxas's House: August 25** **th** **, 2013, 9:20am}**

Roxas and Namine could admit that thus far, it had been an interesting summer break – or at the very least, the end of one – and though it hadn't been what they had expected, it would very easily go down as the strangest few days they'd had thus far. However, between learning of the existence of other Worlds being true, Keyblades, Monsters, Darkness, Mouse Kings, Dream Eaters, and two very interesting Keyblade Masters, one of which, Roxas had known about for nearly an entire year before finally meeting him in person. Naturally, they assumed – or at least Roxas did – that nothing else would surprise them for the time being: _he had never been so wrong_.

Roxas had woken up that morning to finish packing things, he hadn't expected anything to be out of the normal anymore than it already was, and had braced himself for Sora's energetic behavior, and Riku's stand-offish attitude, but that had changed when he turned a corner to head into his living room, and found himself staring in disbelief. As of this point, Roxas was trying to wrap his mind around something that was blaringly obvious, and quite honestly shouldn't have been possible.

"Okay… so there's a _giant treasure chest_ in my living room…" he stated as he looked at the thing and its dark green color.

"Yea, this is probably the best way to move the things you're taking with you without a lot of hassle." Roxas looked to the sky-blue eyed teenager.

"Okay, but… Sora… THERE'S A GIANT TREASURE CHEST IN MY LIVING ROOM!"

The other began laughing, and Roxas only stared. At this point, he was seriously beginning to question his own judgment of character while he watched the other laugh. Roxas sighed, figuring that he needed to get used to the insanity that was his new life, and as he watched the Keyblade Master, he felt himself relax a bit. Sora had a warm, vibrant laugh that made him feel a bit more comfortable as he stood there, looking at the giant contraption. In just a matter of a few days, the chestnut-haired sixteen-year-old had become a bit of a friend to him, and he was beginning to feel his anxiety ebb away as he considered that tomorrow, he would be leaving his old life behind, and would be heading off into a new world and life with Sora, Riku, and Kairi.

Best of all though, Namine would be with him, and they would take everything in stride together. Roxas sighed as he thought of the situation, realizing that these things had been the kind of life he'd dreamed of as a small child. A life full of adventure, becoming a warrior, fighting monsters and saving lives. It was like a fairytale had come to life, but there were things that definitely weren't in that dream. Wielding a Keyblade, and meeting another teenager who seemed to have far to much energy for his age, along with the Heartless, another two Keyblade Wielders, and the threat of something sinister looming hadn't been on that list of ideas his seven year old mind had once conjured, and he was positive no child could have thought this insanity up.

"Don't worry about it. Just put your things in there, and it'll disappear as soon as you close the lid. After that, it'll wind up in your room at the Disney Castle. Think of it as being kinda like Mary Poppin's travel bag," Sora said with a bright smile.

"A-Alright…" Roxas took in a deep breath as he started to grab things from his room and walk down the stairs to put them in the needlessly large treasure chest.

"King Mickey can be pretty inventive, huh?" asked Riku as Sora nodded.

"That's for sure… but I get the feeling that this was Master Yen Sid's doing." Riku grabbed a few items that had been put into a few boxes and brought them downstairs where they were put into the chest.

"I don't doubt it. Do you think Kairi, Namine, and Olette have one too?" the silver-haired teenager asked.

"Most likely… we had something similar show up when we were supposed to pack up our belongings from Destiny Island, remember?" Sora received a nod from his long-time friend as he put a few things into the chest that came from Roxas's room.

"Seems like a long time ago, huh?" Riku looked to him.

"It does… so, Roxas? You gonna miss Twilight Town?" he questioned as the blonde came to stand next to Sora, a few things in his arms.

"Of course, I am. This was my home for as far back as I can remember." Sora frowned at the statement.

"Were you from here originally?" he asked.

"No, my parents were from somewhere else… I think we came here when I was around four, but I don't remember much prior to that except it looked like a really old, beautiful village. My mom worked as a maid of some kind and my dad was a soldier I think." Riku looked to him.

"What happened to your mom and dad then?" Sora questioned, the silver-haired Dream Eater cast a small look at his friend, wondering why his tone sounded so small and wounded, almost as if he was recalling something he knew was a painful memory, but couldn't quite place what it was.

"My dad died in combat I think, and my mom just vanished about a year later. She left me at an orphanage, stating that I was better off there, and that she could no longer care for me. I don't know what happened to her… but I was raised by the orphanage, and I've been fine… I moved into this house about two years ago." Riku hummed in thought while Sora put a few more items in the trunk.

"I guess it was for the best then…" Riku pointed this out and Roxas eyed him.

"What about you? Riku?" asked Pence.

"Huh? What about me?" Hayner sighed.

"Like… what are your parents like and all that?" he inquired.

"Well, my dad is a fisherman, we live on an island, so jobs like that are pretty good, pay-wise. My mom works at the local middle school, and I grew up with Sora and Kairi… we've been connected at the hip since we were about two or so. My parents are really good people, and they're hard workers… we were all home for about two weeks, and then King Mickey sent his Court Magician, Donald Duck, and his Captain of the Knight's Goofy Goof, to pick us up. the rest is kinda history." The others nodded, and then Pence looked to Sora.

"What about you Sora?" he questioned as the chestnut-haired teenager glanced his way as Roxas went back upstairs for a moment to grab a few more items.

"Um… well… I was raised by my mom… my dad passed away when I was about six I think, but I kind of remember him, and I know I favor him. My mom is a nurse, and all of my family have been in medical practices for generations… so I'm really good at medicine. She's really nice, and we live right at the ocean… like Riku said we were home for about two weeks, and then came to live at Disney Castle, but Riku and Kairi were home for a year before I was brought back with them… I kind of went off the radar during that time, and they found me, and I came home before leaving again…" Roxas paused at the bottom step and eyed the other.

"Then what's it like living in a Castle?" he questioned as Sora took a few of the items from his arms and placed them in the trunk.

"Kind of odd… I guess. I mean, we have these old, large beach houses that tower up past the waves on the island, but… living in a Castle is insane compared to that. the first week there, we all got lost coming and going from place to place, and training was a pain in the ass. We kept finding our way down to the training hall, and then getting lost coming back to our rooms. Luckily though, our rooms are all on the same hall, so we're not far from one another." Sora jumped a bit with the next things to get the items inside the chest, standing on the tips of his toes as he did so.

Roxas, Hayner, and Pence eyed the chestnut-haired boy as he stood there, once more on his toes to put things into the large chest. Sora seemed like a very able-bodied person, but they had just noticed something about him that they had failed to prior to today: Sora was surprisingly tiny for his age. Roxas had a similar lithe build, but he was a bit taller and broader in his shoulders than the brunette, which crossed him as strange because he was almost positive that Sora was older than he was.

Riku looked at his friend, who growled in contempt as he stood on the tips of his toes again, and the silver-haired teen cracked a smile. He knew precisely what the other three males were thinking when watching Sora try and get the tings into the chest, and couldn't help but find it slightly humorous. Sora could fool people into thinking little of his stature and slight build, but he also knew that the people who did notice found it highly comical, because the chestnut-haired teenager seemed so strong and could be intimidating, but was still remarkably small for a sixteen-year-old.

"What are all of you staring at?" their attention was drawn back to sky-blue eyes that were glaring at them slightly.

"Um… well… we kinda just noticed… you're really short and tiny for someone your age – you know?" said Pence as Sora's glare grew menacing.

"Care to repeat that? I'm afraid that due to my _small stature,_ I'm not high up enough to hear you at a normal range…" Riku tensed.

" _Oh boy… they don't know that Sora has an issue with people pointing out that he's on the smaller side of the spectrum."_

"Really? I said that – "Hayner and Roxas clapped their hands over Pence's mouth, stopping him when they noticed a vindictive glint appearing in sky-blue eyes.

"If you desire to live, don't finish that sentence," Riku said as he leaned towards the trio.

"Buh… I vas ust…" Pence looked to Sora, whose normally crystalline, sky-blue eyes had turned a darker shade of blue in warning, letting him know that the Keyblade Master was plotting something wicked. The brunette moved away from his friends and ran up the stairs with an excuse of getting more things, before Roxas looked back at the chestnut-haired youth.

"Smaller or not, you are scary when you glare like that," Roxas stated.

"I am not that small, dammit!" Riku laughed as he put a hand on Sora's head and ruffled his already messy hair.

"No, that mess you call hair makes up for the inches, but not the feet you lack," he said as the other gave him a perturbed expression.

"My hair is messy, _I get it!_ It stands up a bit in odd places, so what? Roxas's is not much better." The blonde laughed.

"Mine's not as messy or spiked up as yours, I bet if it laid flat, your hair would be really long…" Sora tugged on a strand of his hair.

"Laugh it up, go ahead…" the chestnut-haired teenager felt Riku ruffle his hair again, causing it to fall into his eyes more than it normally would.

"But, to Kairi's amazement, it's soft as silk," he stated, quoting the other's girlfriend.

"Riku! You're annoying!" the silver-haired teenager laughed.

"And you're a mess, do you know that?" the other gave him a cheeky grin.

"What gave you that idea?" he asked.

"The two of you would make the weirdest brothers!" he stated as Hayner nodded. As the words left Roxas though, Riku noticed Sora had become strangely still, eyes a little glossy looking as the other frowned.

"Sora?" he received no answer, which caused him to grab the other's arm.

" _You two are the weirdest brothers I have ever met! Come on! Follow me! Sora! Va –"_ the boy jerked away from Riku and walked over to the other side of the chest, grabbing a few pillows that had been tossed to the side last night, while he kept his eyes down.

"Sora? Are you okay?" Riku asked as the other gave him a stiff nod.

"Yea, I'm fine…" Roxas looked him over.

"Did I say something that upset you?" he questioned.

"No, I was just thinking about someone… it's no big deal. I just felt a little weird… mostly because I haven't seen them in a long time." Riku frowned.

" _Who was he thinking about?"_

 **{Roxas's House: Rooftop: 6:08pm}**

The normally bustling streets of Twilight Town were abnormally quiet for this time of day during the summer. Not a soul was present, and the wind created a wild noise throughout the barren streets and alleyways almost like the howl of a bloodthirsty animal or a pained human. The eternal sunset seemed more ominous than peaceful, and an odd bite of cold had appeared in the air. Sora eyed the area around them as he looked to the others present, enjoying the last day of summer vacation as the group remained locked in a jovial conversation while sky-blue eyes continued to observe the area.

After Namine had completed her task of cleaning out her small flat, she, Kairi, and Olette had returned back to Roxas's house, electing to remain here for their last night in Twilight Town as it would be easier to leave in the morning, with nothing but their clothing and a small backpack each as all their other belongings now awaited them at their soon to be new home of Disney Castle. Kairi was chatting with the others, Riku joining in on the conversation a fraction while Sora remained somewhat quiet, as his girlfriend informed the others about the Castle grounds and what the world was like while Roxas seemed to be as pensive as the chestnut-haired Keyblade Master was. It was strangely calm, almost to much so, even on the rooftop, where the dying rays of the sun ghosted over them in an almost seductive manner, attempting to get all of them to ease, and drop their guards while Sora only watched the others.

"I hope you guys like it there and settle in, it sounds like a lot of fun," Pence said as he looked at Roxas and Namine.

"We'll be fine… besides, we've got Sora, Kairi, and Riku there to help us get adjusted." Roxas smiled and the other nodded, returning it.

"Good, the last thing we need is to hear that the two of you got yourselves in trouble on day one because of some random incident," Hayner pointed out as Olette giggled a bit.

"I think that's Sora's job…" the chestnut-haired teen shot his Dream Eater a playful glare.

"Hey! I don't get in trouble on purpose! Those kinds of things just tend to happen to me!" he defended as Riku smirked.

"Sure, they do, just like the mops and their hatred of you." Sora frowned.

"How the fuck was I supposed to know that those _damn mops attacked on sight_ if you stepped on the floors _once_ or just so happened to get in their way by accident?" he snapped as the others laughed while the boy sat down cross-legged on the floor.

"Mops?" Kairi nodded at Namine's question.

"Yea, the mops, brooms, and a lot of other cleaning supplies move by themselves, and clean too. Atop that, sometimes the bedrooms will be thoroughly cleaned when we arrive back. But, the mops and brooms aren't that fond of Sora for some reason," she explained.

"Sounds like a blast…" Roxas could feel a nervous quiver in his tone as Sora sighed, propping his head up with his hand as he rested his elbow on his thigh.

"And the castle sits near the ocean, so a lot of times we can take walks on the beach after a long day or a mission," he said with a smirk.

"Really? That must be nice… especially for the three of you, seeing as you grew up on an island." Olette's statement had Sora glancing to the side.

"I guess so…" Namine frowned.

"What do you mean by that?" she inquired.

"I think Sora is a little melancholy about the islands now-a-days, but he used to love being there before he became nomadic." The chestnut-haired Keyblade Master rolled his eyes.

"Nomadic? Why do you think I'm nomadic?" he asked in a dull tone.

"Because, you tend never stay in one place for too long. You like traveling, and while you might live in the Disney Castle, it's not exactly home to you." Sora gave his friend a annoyed look, growling a fraction as he did so.

Roxas, for some strange reason, felt a bit odd when the boy did that. the main factor being because the sound wasn't anything like most humans, and had a feral, and animalistic undertone that normal humans didn't and typically couldn't create. He glanced to Riku and Kairi, both seeming to have either not heard it or, chosen to ignore it. Sighing, the blonde decided to bypass his pondering on something so trivial and enjoy his time with his friends while he could. Riku went over to Sora after the momentary silence from the other, and smirked as he reached out and ruffled his hair, causing him to receive an irritated glare.

"Stop that… it's annoying!" Riku laughed and stopped before looking to his friend.

"You know I'm right, though," he said. The chestnut-haired teen looked at his friend momentarily, and then glanced down.

"Actually… the Destiny Islands… never really felt like home to me, either." Kairi looked a bit surprised by the statement, as did Riku; but a part of them had always known that Sora had never quite fit in on the Islands, and had always felt as though he didn't belong there. However, the expression on Roxas and the other's faces couldn't be mistaken for anything but sheer confusion.

"But you've lived your entire life on the islands, you were even born there, right?" asked Namine.

"No, I wasn't. I'm… not from the islands, originally…" Riku looked to the others at the statement as they gaped at his friend.

"Seriously?" questioned Hayner.

"Yea, Kairi and I met Sora when we were pretty young. What three or four? He came to the islands when he was really little, and has lived there ever since then." The group eyed Sora.

"Then where did you come from originally?" inquired Roxas as the other shook his head, messy bangs falling into sharp sky-blue eyes.

"I actually don't remember. From what I do know, my dad and mom came to the islands because that's where she came from originally... I was about four I think, and I lived there until recently. It's… kind of odd… but I don't really know much about my dad either… just that I favor him." Olette glanced him over.

"It's funny, your far more tan than Kairi or Riku… so I would have thought they were the foreigners, not you," she stated.

"My mom said that my dad was the same way… but I don't know much else…" the conversation lagged for a moment and Pence sighed.

"So… tomorrow is when you guys leave?" he asked.

"Yea, probably by noon." The group nodded.

"Then let's enjoy the rest of the time we've got, okay?" Namine stated with a smile.

The group carried on through with different conversations; however, it was also questioned on whether or not, the group could be present to see Roxas, Namine, Sora, Kairi, and Riku off to their destination – which would be the Mysterious Tower – and they had been pleased to know that they would be able to say their goodbyes. After the group had been given that assurance, the conversation turned to the other worlds, which left Sora to delegate the information and stories. The group was happy to listen to the wild adventures the boy had been on, being caught up in the whirlwind of insanity that had been Sora's first round of going through the worlds.

They were in the middle of a recount about a world known as the Olympus Coliseum, a God of the Underworld named Hades, and a demi-god named Hercules when the boy went dead silent, his entire form stiffening as his eyes grew slightly wide. At first, they thought nothing of it, and in a matter of seconds, the foul stench of burning rubbering flooded the air, causing Sora to bolt to his feet in such a manner that the Twilight Town group hadn't even seen him move. Though a bit startled, the group all got to their feet as Sora looked over from the top of the roof, and the three Keyblade bearers eyed one another as they saw, writhing below them, a swarm of shadows, cascading and expanding throughout the streets, and small shadowy pools that had started to gather on lower roof tops.

"A-Are those… Heartless?" asked Roxas.

"Yea, and a lot of them…" the group looked to Sora, who was looking at the number count more than anything else right at that moment.

"Hey, Riku? How many do you think are down there?" he questioned as the silver-haired teen looked around him for a brief moment.

"I'd say around six? Seven hundred, maybe?" the group gaped.

"H-Huh?! Why are t-there so many?" Hayner probed as Sora sighed.

"Because… at this moment, there are exactly five Keyblade Wielders in one location. The Keyblade draws them closer, but they also fear it, and they hunger for the hearts of those who can wield the power of the Keyblade. As of now, we're going to have to take precautions to deal with this hoard." Riku and Kairi nodded as the others looked to him.

"Precautions? What do you – no! Wait! Whoa! What do you mean deal with the hoard?! There are five Key-people or whatever here, but Namine hasn't ever summoned her Keyblade! And Roxas has only done it like… twice max!" Pence stated as Sora sighed.

"By myself, I can take out a decent chunk of these things. Kairi, and Riku can take out even more, and if Riku and I were to team up, we can take out at least a hundred in one hit." Riku looked to them.

"And our enemies are well aware of that fact, and that's why they sent extras, to make sure that we don't slip out of their grasps," he explained as Kairi looked to the sky-blue-eyed boy next to her.

"Sora? What do you want to do?" the boy turned his gaze on her briefly.

"I don't think we really have any other choice but to fight," he admitted.

"F-Fight?! Did you not hear me a minute ago?! Roxas and Namine can't use those weapons like you, and none of us are even able to wield one! Not to mention, we're not fighters like you! Okay? _Sora!_ _Do you get it?_ We're not soldiers like you! We don't know how to turn off everything in our heads and go right into slaughtering those things!" Hayner grabbed Sora's shirt, staring the boy in the eye as he said this.

"H-Hayner… wait man, don't…" Hayner glared at Pence.

"Shut the hell up! I'm trying to stay calm about this, but our lives were peaceful until he showed up, and now everything's going to hell! I don't know what kind of power you think you've got, but so far, I've not seen anything that genuinely makes me trust someone like you! Do you understand me? _Keyblade Master?"_ Sora narrowed his gaze and Hayner returned the glare, only for Riku to reach forward and grab the blonde's wrist, his strong hand clamping down upon the other's wrist like a vice to the point that the bones began to creak.

"I suggest you let my friend go and back the fuck off before I really get pissed," Riku stated as he tightened the grip he had, and Hayner let go, backing away as he held his bruised wrist and Riku cast his cyan eyes towards the other, the color seeming brighter than normal.

"Roxas? Namine? Come here for a minute…" Sora pulled at his shirt a bit, it having ridden up, showing the group the bottom half of what looked to be a tattoo and a scar on his abdomen as the two blondes looked to him.

"What is it?" the boy held his hand out as they approached, and light flashed into his grasp.

The Keyblade that appeared was a simplistic one with of blue coloring with a double- pronged base, a grip that looked a bit like an infinity symbol, and had a series of constellations made into a gear-like design as the teeth while the keychain that dangled there was a tiny green book. Sora looked to it, and held it out to Namine who swallowed nervously as the others watched. She had seen Keyblades up close, but now, she would be made to use one that, from the things she'd heard, might choose not to like her. Timidly, the blonde-haired girl took the blue-toned Keyblade into her grasps, and its weight fell upon her in a slight manner before Sora watched it, waiting for it to potentially reject her.

"This is Spellbinder, it's specific to me typically, but it seems to be willing to let you use it. I would have let you have the Kingdom Key, but the fact remains that it's not going to be strong enough, and Spellbinder is a heavily magic inclined Keyblade, it'll know what to do and guide you. Roxas…" the boy's ocean-blue eyes looked to the other and a moment later, a white-gray, and golden toned Keyblade with a column like design upon it and a sun symbol for the teeth was held out to him, a medallion with a cloud and lightening bolt present at the end of a small chain.

"W-What's that one?" Sora looked to it.

"Olympic, it's the Keyblade from the Olympus Coliseum. It's a bit tougher to handle, but I think it'll be the best for you at this point. It's about the same strength level as Spellbinder, but you've gotta keep calm, and trust your instincts," he said.

"Y-You want us to fight? Are you sure? We've never –" the boy smiled.

"I'm sure… just believe in yourself," Sora stated.

"O-Okay…" Sora looked to Kairi and Riku who nodded, both summoning their Keyblades in a flourishing motion as the group looked at the area, and then at the nearest roof top below them.

"Roxas? Namine? You two ready?" Riku looked to them as he asked this, and the two blondes swallowed nervously.

"I… guess so…" Olette and the others looked at the three Keyblade Bearers.

"What should we do?" she asked as Hayner eyed Sora, who had yet to draw his Keyblade.

"Stick with us, and we'll get the three of you to an area we can secure easier. A small café that has a gated terrace would be good…" Pence nodded.

"There's one in the north market area just down the street. We can go straight from where we are now, and it should work!" he proposed.

"Okay, so the next question is how do we –" Riku walked over to Olette and grabbed hold of her, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"Hold on tight, okay?" he asked as he looked at the edge of the roof and the one below them, causing Olette's dark green eyes to widen.

"Oh no…" Riku smirked.

"Oh yes…"

The group watched somewhat shocked as Riku stepped back just a fraction and then scooped Olette up into his arms, and jumped off the roof, the brunette girl screaming as she felt the air whistle by her as Riku braced himself to land on the roof below. Not a moment later, his feet hit the paved roof, and he took in a deep breath as he landed steadily without any complications. Olette settled herself as she took in a few deep breaths, and Kairi looked at the others. They glanced to her and then Sora watched as Pence and Hayner cast one another a momentary look before with a shout they took off running, and jumped, managing to land unharmed, but ungracefully on the roof next to Olette and Riku.

"Who's next?" Sora asked.

"I'll go!" Namine tightened her grip upon the Keyblade, hoping it would help her in this fight at least a little as she started running and jumped off the roof, and landed easily on the next one with the others as Roxas stared onward at the others while Riku gave Namine a quick pointer about holding the Keyblade as Kairi looked to Sora and jumped next, landing on the roof swiftly.

"Come on you lazy bum! We gotta deal with the Heartless!" Kairi called as Sora looked to Roxas who seemed a bit pale.

"Well, you heard the girl, everyone's waiting for us, so come on." The blonde gave a nervous laugh.

"I am not looking forward to this…" Sora smirked, walking over to Roxas before he put an arm around his waist.

"Then don't think about it!" the chestnut-haired teenager jumped forward, taking the blonde – who screamed bloody murder – with him as they flew through the air and landed on the next roof with no trouble. Sora could admit freely, that his time growing up on the islands had conditioned his body a bit for these sorts of ordeals, and that mainly came from all the climbing and high-jumping areas that he and the others had played at since they were small.

Once they were on the rooftop, they took note of several Heartless coming their way, and Riku acted immediately. Way to the Dawn reappeared in his grasp, it's shadowy light bursting forth as he swung outwards, disbursing the first bunch as Kairi followed up behind him and the Twilight Town group remaining huddled in the middle as they began running along the rooftops towards the north market square. The five Keyblade Wielders boxed in Hayner, Pence, and Olette in the center of their group, placing Riku towards the back, Namine to the right, Kairi on the left, and Sora, and Roxas at the front. The group hopped across a few of the roofs once more, and in the second they went to turn a corner to try and get to open, level ground sooner, the Heartless appeared in droves.

Panicked, and terrified by the sight of hundreds of yellow eyes within the shadows, the three within the middle stared onward as Sora looked to Riku and Kairi and then moved his right arm outwards where a gleam of black and navy lights appeared. The black gothic looking Keyblade with a sapphire connector and a chain in the center of it's base appeared within his grasp, the black crown pendant at the end of it clinking as Sora took in a steady breath while Destiny's Embrace was raised to prepare for the attack. Roxas and Namine followed in suit, hoping that they could at least do something to help protect their friends in this mess as Sora looked at the creatures.

"Hey, don't you guys know it's rude to stand in people's ways?" he asked.

The Heartless barreled towards them, and Sora met them mid-way. Riku and Sora jumped into the fray, taking down as many of the Heartless as they could while Kairi worked restlessly on batting away randomized ones that appeared near the three unarmed people as they continued to push towards the north market place. Kairi gritted her teeth as one of the Heartless scratched her leg, and she cut it down while keeping her eyes on Namine, who swung Spellbinder, and managed to take down a few on her own. Roxas took to the front with Sora, and together, they slowly were met with fewer of the Heartless as they got closer to their destination. To their fortune, they were able to get through the masses and take in a deep breath of relief as they turned another corner, and were finally out of the first wave.

"Riku, there's more than seven-hundred… I think," Kairi said.

"Yea, and we can't keep trying to block them and guard the others…" Sora looked around them.

"Riku! Kairi! Take Olette, Hayner, and Pence to the marketplace! Set up a guarding ward like you did at the house. I'll meet you there," Sora stated sharply as he turned towards the next round that was slowly coming towards them.

"Are you insane?! That's too many to take on your own!" the boy gave them a faint smirk.

"I'll be fine. Roxas, Namine? Go with them and help as best you can. I'll lure them towards you so be ready, got it?" he asked as he vanished Oblivion and drew a blue crystal Keyblade with jagged edges, causing Riku's eyes to grow wide as he observed this.

" _He's using Wisdom Crystal… that means…"_

"Alright, come on! Sora, we'll see you soon!" Riku pushed the others towards the north market place, and began telling them to stay on guard while Roxas took one last look at Sora, who swung his Keyblade out, the weapon gleaming in the sun's dying light, giving the area around him a burst of fractured light. With that, Roxas was swept out of the area, and turned his focus on getting out of the situation alive alongside his friends.

"Okay, you want to try and get me? That's fine, but…." Sora smirked as his right eye turned royal blue as gleams of the same color appeared around him as he spun his Keyblade in one hand before looking at the Heartless.

"I have plenty of ways at ending you before a single one of you could even hope to land a blow on me," he stated as he aimed his Keyblade at the Heartless, and fired a rain of blue magical bullets at them as he jumped back, gliding faintly on the blue tendrils that appeared at his feet. Now in his Wisdom Drive Form, he had a chance to hit them better, and possibly diminish their numbers before heading towards the others. Sora kept himself braced as the Heartless went in for the kill, and he retaliated, hoping that Wisdom Form would be strong enough to help him and the others get out of this situation.

Though Sora couldn't dual wield in this form, he could use massive amounts of magic, glide fast across the ground, and his swing skill and Flow Motion were the easiest in this form. However, with the amount of Heartless they were facing, he was beginning to think that Valor or Master Form would have been a better choice on his part. Sighing, Sora shook the thought away, knowing he didn't have time to stick around thinking about something so unimportant as he tightened his grip upon Wisdom Crystal and jumped headlong into the fray.

 **{North Marketplace: 7:45pm}**

"I-I think we… made it….but…where…" started Kairi as Namine pointed to a small terrace at the front of a café.

"There, that terrace, the three of you go now!" she said as she took in a few deep breaths. Olette, Pence, and Hayner were fast to get where they needed to, before looking at their four friends.

"I hope they'll be okay, there's so many of those things…." The trio looked at the four of them in concern as their thoughts fell to the next person.

"Sora, is he going to be okay?" asked Pence.

"I hope so…."

As soon as the words left them, there was a rumble to the left, and the group looked as a mass of Heartless swarmed the area and a blue streak came flying over them in a tumble. The form slashed through a small number of them, before being knocked backwards as it tumbled again, and then landed against a wall with a harsh smack. All eyes turned to the form as it staggered to get up and locked eyes on the creatures standing near them. Kairi, Roxas, Namine, Olette, Hayner, and Pence stared, wide-eyed and opened mouthed, at Sora whose attire had changed to royal blue, black, and white-lined. His right eye the same shade of blue as his attire, and he coughed a bit and straightened himself out, before picking up the blue crystal-looking Keyblade again.

"Sora? Is that you?" a beaming, smile coupled with a bloodied lip met them.

"Geeze Kairi, that's mean; you forgot what I look like already?" he said.

"No! I just…"

"What the hell is with the attire change?" asked Roxas.

"This? I'll explain later…it's kind of a power boost is all…so….do me a favor and duck, would ya?" Roxas raised an eyebrow as Sora swung the Keyblade in a rotation in his hand before pointing the tip of the Keyblade at Roxas's head. The blonde grew wide eyed before dropping as a blue bullet fired out of it like a gun and struck a few of the Heartless behind him.

"Round Two I guess," said Kairi as she held up her Keyblade.

"No kidding…" Sora ended up back-to-back with the others, before looking at them with a faint smile.

"So, um… how do you… wanna break it up?" asked Roxas as Sora smirked a bit.

"I say we just break it…." the others nodded.

"Yea, let's do it!" the group split apart and attacked the Heartless straight forward.

The Heartless kept coming for hours, the fight lasting far too long as they kept going back to the shadows and reforming. Sora jumped up and landed just behind Roxas, who was bracing himself against the Keyblade and the creatures as he tried to stave them off. Sora's feet momentarily touched the ground, before, with a faint crouch, he jumped up high and turned upside down with a swing of his body, and aimed Wisdom Crystal at a large number of the Heartless.

With a single hit, if it was well aimed, he could easily take care of the large number heading their way, and he was willing to take that chance. Aiming it at the masses, Sora closed his left eye and focused the magically enhanced vision of his right one before finding the Heartless with a crest on its chest in the mass – that was the proverbial boss of the Heartless in this one cluster – and if he took it out, he could weaken them. Sora took in a slow breath and focused his eyesight as his body started to freefall. In one second, he shot and hit his target, which instantly took out a large portion of the mass heading for Roxas.

Sora landed atop one of the iron work tables of a bakery near the terrace where Olette, Hayner and Pence were, and felt the wind force its way from his lungs. A sharp pain raced up his side as he fell off the table and landed painfully on the cobblestone of the street before lying there, trying to get his body to take in air again. Momentarily it refused, and he knew he had bruised ribs, but as another swarm came at them, and the others managed to make headway on them, he thought they were in the clear, and then Namine was thrown across the way and into a fence. She let out a sharp gasp as she was knocked unconscious, and Roxas turned his attention to her, and her defense. Kairi moved in closer towards Riku, and Sora gritted his teeth as he forced himself up and looked at the Heartless.

"Fuck! Dammit all!" Sora snapped as he thought of the quickest way to stop this fight before lives were lost.

With a quick spin, he dug Wisdom Crystal into the ground and sent a focus of magical energy through the ground. Royal blue runes shot outwards, and he felt a sharp tremble appear in the ground as the Heartless began evaporating. Sora felt his Wisdom Form give out and pain spread through his body as he felt Wisdom Crystal vanish and the last few Heartless ran in, only to be taken out by the others as he felt his vision

blacken and his body collapse as Kairi turned to look at him, and panic flooded her features.

"Sora! Namine!"

 **{…..}**

 _I'll break right through the irony. Cure this wait…_

 **{…..}**

 **Author's Note:** Whew, choosing what to reuse from the original story, and what to create anew was a really hard thing to do in this chapter; however, it worked out fine I think. Now, I do want to do a few explanations for those who may not know about Sora's Keyblade Wisdom Crystal:

 _Wisdom Crystal works specifically with Wisdom Form, and was presented to him upon completion of his Mark of Mastery exam in Dark Dream Distance. Riku, also received a Keyblade post the completion of his Mark of Mastery exam, which you will see later._

This Keyblade's appearance is like a jagged crystal of blue with amethysts and gold implanted into the crescent moon shaped teeth with a royal blue sphere at the center of the crescent moon. It also has three specific abilities:

 **The ability to amplify the effects of Wisdom Form: I.E – Sora's right eye, and his aim.**

 **The ability to spread its magic through the ground if imbedded into it, creating a vaporizing shield or shockwave that destroys corrupt darkness.**

 **The ability to form a half-shield via magic.**

This Keyblade can only maintain its form for a few seconds if ability 3 is used, which you just saw. It will also remove Wisdom Form's use form sora if it vanishes. This Keyblade, is actually according to the lore myself and my beta/roommate came up with, is from the Keyblade Graveyard or may have been stored away in the Mysterious Tower. Master Yen Sid never told Sora or Riku where their Keyblades came from.

Well, tell me guys what you think, and I'll look forward to your reviews!

Sincerely,

ShadowDragon94.


	18. Chapter 18: Healing

Day 18: Healing

 **{Twilight Town: August 27** **th** **, 2013, 11:02am}**

 _In you and I, there's a new land…_

Sora flinched against the sensation of someone shaking him slightly, his eyes not willing to open against the harsh sunlight that was streaming in through the windows right then as he took a moment to try and push the person away, but found himself far to weak to do so as the scent of strawberries came to his senses, and the soft voice of someone singing rang in his ears.

 _Angels in flight._

 _My sanctuary, my sanctuary…_

 _Where fears and lies, melt away…_

 _Music means life…_

Despite his desire to remain sleeping, his senses were slowly returning to him, the scent of the strawberries becoming more prevalent against the other smell of rubbing alcohol and the texture of linen sheets. It felt as though he should know where he was; however, his mind couldn't quite register it yet, the feeling of cloth wrapped around his arms, throat, and head were beginning to creep into his mind, letting him know that he was wounded, and someone had tended to him.

 _What's left of me, what's left of me… now…_

 _I watch you, fast asleep…_

 _All I fear, means nothing…_

 _In you and I, there's a new land…_

 _Angels in flight…_

 _My sanctuary, my sanctuary…_

 _Where fears and lies melt away…_

 _Music means light…_

 _What's left of me, what's left of me…_

" – ora!"

The sound of someone's muffled voice began to come to his ears, the warmth of their hands, and the faint brushing of their soft hair against his cheeks as the person spoke to him more, calling out his name as he tried to find it in his mind as to where he was and what happened, all the while, desiring more than anything, to continue sleeping.

 _He showed me, how to see, that nothing…_

 _is whole and… nothing is broken…_

 _In you and I, there's a new land._

 _Angels in flight._

 _My sanctuary, my sanctuary._

 _Where fears and lies melt away…_

 _Music means light…._

 _What's left of me, what's left of me now…_

 _My fears, my lies….melt away…._

" _You should open your eyes now, Hikari… the illusion of twilight is soon to be over…"_

"CURA!" the sudden wash of a healing spell falling upon him caused the sixteen-year-old's eyes to snap open, his body jolting upright in shock as he felt hands instantly go to him.

"Sora, calm down, you're fine," Kairi stated as she put a hand on his face, and he looked towards her.

"K-Kairi?"

Though Sora didn't quite realize, his voice sounded incredibly dazed, almost as if he was confused by what was happening, which concerned them all to a degree. Namine stood next to Roxas, who appeared rather unnerved by the other boy's shaken state, as Kairi tried to keep him calm, speaking in a gentle tone until Sora looked directly into her eyes, and tears welled within his own eyes before slipping down his cheeks, startling the others and most of all Riku and Kairi who were not accustomed to seeing Sora behave in such a manner. Kairi put her arms around him as the boy took in a few unsteady breaths, brushing his eyes in hopes of getting the tears to stop as he tried to regain his composure, but didn't pull from her embrace.

"It's okay, Sora… we're all here. Everyone's fine," she assured him, and he pulled back a bit, wiping his eyes once more.

"S-Sorry… I just…" a sudden flash of a person's smile entered his mind, tears streaming down their face as his own started up once again, his mind seeming to grasp desperately at his own memories, and the frayed edges of a fading dream he had been enraptured in during his slumber.

"Is everything okay?" Riku questioned as the other nodded, smiling a bit.

"Yea… it was just… a dream." Kairi nodded to him and placed a gentle hand to his cheek.

"You were unconscious, and that fall did a number on your ribs. Riku used a Cura spell on you, several times, but it was this last one that finally made you open your eyes," Namine explained as Sora looked to her.

"How long was I out?" Kairi looked to him at that.

"About a day and a half," she answered as he stared wide-eyed at her.

"Really? Well, I guess that fall really did do a number on me…" the group looked to the boy, seeming to pass a silent suggestion to one another for just a moment.

"Speaking of that fight… what was with those clothes you had on? And the whole gliding thing? Not to mention the Keyblade?" Sora winced at the tone used by Kairi. He knew telling her nothing about his Drive Forms would come back to bite him one day, but he hadn't quite anticipated it being like this.

" _This is not on my list of good situations for explaining things…"_ he thought half-heartedly.

"Sora, I think you owe us an explanation," said Namine.

"Well… that's the thing… it wasn't… normal clothing… it was a… Drive Form…" the group looked a bit dumbfounded by the answer he gave them.

"Drive Form? What the hell is a Drive Form?" asked Roxas.

"They're potions of magical orientation that are consumed, and grant the person who drank them, the power to use whatever it was designed to do. They're formally known as Drive Potions, and they tend to manifest in the change of a person's attire, and at times, the color of their eyes or even hair."

"Okay… and what was that one you used?" inquired Kairi.

"That was my Wisdom Drive Form… the basics of it are magically based, and the Keyblade you saw is called Wisdom Crystal. It was something Master Yen Sid gave me once I completed my Mark of Mastery Exam back in April." Riku glanced to the side as Kairi gave her boyfriend a perturbed expression.

"Uhuh, and how long have you been able to use this Drive Form?" she asked as Sora glanced down a bit, feeling a tad anxious at the topic.

"I received it from Merlin the Blue Wizard, during my first time world-hopping, after I came back to Traverse Town and we were getting repairs done on the Gummi Ship… Squall Leonhart had put together a few lessons for me with Merlin, and one of them put me into a book to teach me about relying upon myself to aid others… and I received Wisdom Form after I exited the book. So, I've had it for around two years now." Kairi frowned.

"Why didn't you mention it to us?" she asked him as Sora sighed a bit.

"Sorry, I just didn't find a need for it. I've never used my Drive Form in front of anyone but Donald and Goofy before, and because of that, I just figured one day someone would see it and ask… but… we were in a few pretty nasty predicaments, and the situation to explain or use it never really arose so…" Riku sighed.

"I learned about it recently, roughly two days ago. I saw no reason in explaining something that was his to tell. However, this is like with your magical pressure illness – you should have said something to us," he stated.

"I have a bad habit of not doing that, huh?" the others shook their heads in agreement.

"From what I saw, it was freaking epic though!" Pence said.

"Yea! It was really neat, so… is it really entirely magic?" Sora nodded at Olette's question.

"Wisdom Form specializes in magical enhancement, but it also allows me to glide on the ground like a skateboard kind of. It gets me places faster, but some of my others are better suited for specific situations," he admitted as Kairi frowned again.

"Others? As in, you have _other Drive Forms?"_ the chestnut-haired teenager winced once more.

"Um… yea… at current, I think the number is at… five?" they stared in surprise.

"FIVE?!" Sora jolted a bit.

"Yea, I'm still practicing with some of them, though, and I can really only use Valor, Wisdom and Limit…" Kairi sighed.

"I kinda wish you would have said something about these beforehand. That way, we could have trained with them and gotten used to the mechanics on how you move differently in these forms," she stated. Sora gave her a small smile.

"I know….but now that we have Roxas and Namine coming back, we can all train with them together, so one isn't ahead of the others in this case…" Riku smiled as did Kairi.

"That's one good outlook, I suppose," Riku admitted.

"Anyways, we had Komori inform King Mickey and Master Yen Sid about what happened and that we would be returning a bit later than expected, so get some rest." Sora glanced to Kairi and then to Riku.

"Wait, do you know how we're getting to the Mysterious Tower?" he questioned as Riku nodded.

"Yep, apparently, Master Yen Sid has a train that can come and get us from Twilight Town's station, and it'll take us directly to where we're supposed to be headed." Sora sighed just a bit.

"At least it's not a portal again…" he stated as Roxas rose an eyebrow.

"What's wrong with a portal?" Sora looked to him.

"Well, Master Yen Sid's portals are always nearby you, which is where they're supposed to show up… but they also tend to appear in very strange places…" he said.

"Got any examples?" the chestnut-haired teenager thought for a second.

"Inside a clock, a hole in a tree… under a rock… in a teacup once…" he explained with a bland expression.

"A _cup?"_ sky-blue eyes looked to them.

"I was tiny that time, okay? And I didn't know it at the time, but Master Yen Sid admitted that he was the one who made the portal for me to get through in those circumstances…" Riku laughed a bit.

"I don't think imagining you any smaller is a hard stretch of the imagination," he said as Sora shot him a withering glare.

"I might be hurt, but I can still _kick your ass,_ Riku!" the silver-haired teenager started laughing again.

"You'll have to show us this trick you have for shrinking even more," he said as the other bristled like an angry cat.

"Riku?" the other Keyblade Master looked to Sora.

"What, Sora?" he asked.

"Do you have a belief in a higher power?" Riku looked at him in confusion.

"Yea, I would assume so… why?" the chestnut-haired teenager leapt off the sofa, and was on his feet in the blink of an eye, the Wisdom Crystal Keyblade drawn, causing Wisdom Form to activate instantly as the boy stepped forward, his stance hovering a few inches above the ground.

"Because… I'M SENDING YOU TO MEET YOUR MAKER, YOU SORRY KJEMPE!" the boy's right eye shot royal blue, and the others stared in amazement as he remained prepared to attack, his eyes narrowing viciously.

"Oh, shit!"

Riku dashed out the door, and Sora flew by them, leaving most shocked as they looked out the door and watched Riku draw Way to the Dawn, in hopes of blocking the other. Kairi stared at Sora as he jumped up into the air and fired a few hits at Riku, who only could jump out of the way as he propelled himself forward mid-air with the force of the magic from Wisdom Form and tackled Riku to the ground. The silver-haired boy threw him off, only to be knocked in the back by Wisdom Crystal, which he learned was twice as sharp as it looked. Sora growled low in his throat as Riku - now short of breath from running in circles – tried to brace himself for the other boy's next attack. Riku had sparred with Sora, fought alongside him, and against him, but this wasn't something he was used to. True, Riku had fought with Sora in Wisdom Form alongside him a few days ago, but this was a different experience, because he wasn't fighting with Wisdom Form on his side: this time, it was his opponent, and he wasn't looking forward to seeing what else the boy would dish out.

 _"Note to self: pissing off Sora while he's capable of using any of his Drive Forms will sequentially equal instant elimination."_

"That Drive Form is freaking epic!" said Pence. Roxas, Namine, and Kairi stared onward at Sora, as he shifted his weight just a bit and put his feet on the ground, before racing towards Riku, who blocked him and threw him off.

"Yea, but I don't want to go against it…"

Sora locked eyes on Riku and crouched, almost feline-like, before springing forward. Riku stared, wide-eyed, as the smaller teen managed to jump at him and, in a matter of seconds, disarm him. Sora now stood in front of him with two Keyblades in hand, in his Wisdom Drive Form with Wisdom Crystal pointed at him, and Way to the Dawn held back just out of his reach. Riku could take Wisdom Crystal from Sora, but he had the sincerest feeling that if he did, Sora's Keyblade would do something to him and keep him from using it against its master. Riku could also draw his other two Keyblades, but knowing Sora, he'd find a way to take those from him, too.

"Okay, I get it…calm down, would you?" Riku asked.

"Why? So, you can tease me again?" the silver-haired teen stood, but Sora kept Wisdom Crystal pointed at him.

"Sora, it's a freaking joke! I take it back, alright?" the blue-eyed boy looked him over, and then gave him a gentle smile.

"Okay, I'll let you off the hook… because we're friends; anyways…I'm not much of a grudge holder," Sora told him with a bright smile as he handed Way to the Dawn back to him. Riku gave him a long look.

"It's not rigged, is it?" the brunette frowned as he spun Wisdom Crystal in his hand.

"Nope, I don't mar Keyblades, part of that oath Keyblade Masters take, remember? To uphold the reason a Keyblade has been given to them is to never use it against a comrade unless no other choice has been given….right?" another bright smile. Riku laughed.

"Right…" as Sora turned towards the house again and Wisdom Form vanished, Roxas and the others felt a chill go down their spines as Riku started towards them.

 _"Ingrain into memory: when teasing Sora, make sure not to activate his murder button….or his Drive Form one…"_

 **{Guest Room: 5:45pm}**

There were plenty of things Sora hated; however, over the years, he had learned how to keep those feelings underwraps, if only for the sake of no one using it against him. Nonetheless, those feelings of disgust towards certain things had never left him or lessened, and even had a specific order in which he considered them from the worst to the least of his worries. A sigh left him as he pondered that out of all the things he hated the most, it was seeing anything happen to Kairi, which had been something that Sora knew would remain as his main problem when it came to things that he despised with a passion. It had been the same reason that he originally had desired to remain out of a relationship with Kairi: because he feared her being hurt due to being so close to him. Another huff left him as he watched the sun in the horizon slowly sinking while he rested his head against the windowsill and let his mind wander off into different directions.

When it came to Xehanort, his form of hatred for the man turned monster and his Organization, Sora was almost afraid to question why he had been so willing to accept his task of killing someone. True, he had long since accepted that because of the Keyblade War seeming to be on the return track, he would have to fight, and would have to kill people, but he remembered the first time he had ever killed someone, and that had been John Clayton in the world known as Deep Jungle. The man had been possessed by a Heartless to the point that he was merely just a vessel for the Darkness, and if he were to be honest, that was where he had started to change, despite his attempts at trying to stay true to who he had been prior to that. Sora had been only thirteen years old, and he had ended up being dragged into the middle of a war that children should have had no business in, but there he was, and there he ultimately stayed.

Sora closed his eyes, feeling exhaustion creep into his senses as he considered that his mind was still rather clouded from pain medicine and how much energy he'd burned out during that fight with the Heartless. It was strange to think back on the place he'd began at, and how far he'd come as time had gone by. At some points, Sora could admit that he would pay almost anything to return to how life had been before the Keyblade had shown up; however, Sora also considered that doing so meant someone else would have to suffer, and ultimately, the Keyblade would still find him in some way. He wasn't sure what it was, but he felt as though even if history was rewritten, and the Keyblade hadn't come to him that night on the play island when he'd reached for Riku's hand in the darkness: _it would have found a way._

"Found a way to me… dammit… why did it chose me? I mean… I'm nothing special… it makes no sense…" Sora thought aloud as he looked at his bandaged hand and held his arm out, focusing on the last dregs of his dream that had remained within his mind and a faint image as he felt the pull of the Keyblade's power surge through him, and weight fall into his outstretched hand.

Though a bit unsure, sky-blue eyes opened slowly, and Sora looked at the Keyblade that was within his grasp. It was a beautiful weapon, and seemed almost fragile, but Sora knew better when it came to Keyblades. The entire Keyblade was shades of blue and blue-tinged whites. The grip was made of an upside down heart, with white wings that had pale blue tips as the guards, embedded with two sapphire stones, and a black leather wrapping around the grip. The base was blue, and grew lighter, starting as a midnight blue, to a fair sky-blue, with white-gray ribbons tied twice into X-shapes as it went to the teeth before another blue band of midnight blue appeared, ringed in white as the teeth came up as white vines, sapphire lotus flowers, and wild blooms, the points of the teeth made of white-blue pearls that formed back into a feathered white flower with sapphire gems, and a white set of vines below it.

"What is this? I've never seen this one befo –" Sora stilled as the images of the dream flared in his mind, a woman standing in a grand, elegant room as she held onto the Keyblade he now possessed, a gentle smile upon her face while tears streamed down her pale cheeks, glossy and wavy hair falling far past her hips and an old-world, elegant white-blue dress adorning her doll-like form.

"Sora?" Kairi's voice filtered into the room, and he looked towards her.

"Hey, Kairi…" the girl looked to the Keyblade in his grasp as he lowered it to the bed and sighed.

"Where did that Keyblade come from?" she asked.

"I'm not sure, I had a dream where it showed up… but that's all I recall about it, and here it was." Kairi sighed, shaking her head as the boy vanished it and she came to sit on the bed with him.

"How are you feeling?" she questioned as he shrugged a bit.

"I've been worse." The girl nodded as she looked him over.

"Yea, I know… but you seem like you're getting your strength back," Kairi told him as Sora nodded a bit.

"So… what are you doing here?" the girl frowned.

"I came to check up on you! Why else would I have come in here?" Kairi asked him.

Sora laughed a little, and she growled as she lunged at him and pushed him onto the bed. Kairi glared at him as he looked up at her with his normal cheeky grin, before she gave up and leaned over him to kiss him. The first time she'd kissed him was a bit strange, to say the least. They had ended up wandering the old play island and were in the secret cave they'd gone to as little kids to draw all the time, Sora had been in a state of panic at that point, trying to remember things that even now he didn't recall, and beating himself up over it as she had walked into the cave and tried to ease his fears. It hadn't been her intention, but that had been the day she'd kissed him.

It had been hard, during their recovery on the islands, first because of the harrowing events they had just gone through with the Dream Drop, and then, they'd endured the nightmares, and fears that had gotten to all of them in some form or fashion, but it had been Sora who had suffered the worst of it. Kairi even now, had moments where she was unable to get the sight of seeing him lifeless in Riku's arms out of her head, even when she was safe in Sora's arms, close enough to feel his warmth and hear the beating of his heart: it didn't take away the fear she'd felt that day. Kairi smiled a bit as she considered the past, and she wrapped her arms around the boy next to her, holding him close to her, as she considered how greatly that year apart had changed them, and recalled the moment when they'd kissed that first time.

It had been gentle, and unsure, but something they had both wanted for a long time. Sora had wrapped his arms around her waist, and she had stepped forward, causing them to fall over and against the rough wooden door of their world, she'd remained in his grasp, landing between his legs as she reached forward, grabbing his shirt as she kissed her childhood friend, and he returned it. Kairi had learned more about they changes they'd gone through with that first kiss with sora, than words could have ever told her. They weren't little kids anymore, and that moment had clarified that for her in many different ways. Her mind recalled the day that she, Riku, Donald, and Goofy had found Sora, in that strange laboratory and how much fear she had felt when Riku had just managed to catch him, before he'd worked on waking the boy up, and how greatly the little boy she'd know had changed.

That was a constant focus in her life: change. It was constant, and unrelenting, like the tides of the sea during a storm. Kairi expected it, and braced for it, but ultimately, she was powerless against the force it produced, and the moment she had seen Sora open his eyes, and he'd spoken to her, Kairi had known that the person she'd met on the beach when they were just toddlers, that shy, timid, sweet-natured, bookworm: was gone. She had watched when he'd gotten to move around, being able to find dry clothes and stand before them, showing that he'd gotten taller – to the point that he was taller than her now – and how his entire form radiated the prowess of someone who had experienced battle and hardships.

Sora's footsteps hardly made a sound anymore, his presence was evident, but at times, it would vanish, making it a tad spooky when he'd speak, and others weren't aware that he had been there. His complexion didn't seem pale like she would have expected, instead, he had the same smooth tan skin that he'd always had, but his hair had changed color from chocolate brown, to it's current chestnut shade, flecked and streaked with caramels, reds, and orange-hued blondes. But that wasn't what really bothered her, no, it was how time had seemed to fly by, and when he'd spoken to her, it startled her how different his voice sounded. Once, it had been fairly light, loose, and a bit to jovial and childish, even for a thirteen-year-old; however, it had evened out, gotten a little deeper, and held a faint raspy, but warm, silken tone that she would have never expected to come from him.

The final thing that had gotten her, was his eyes. They hadn't gotten brighter or darker, but they held this clarity to them, almost like a sky on a still, peaceful afternoon. Those beautiful sky-blue eyes, showed her that he'd suffered, and endured a great deal of pain and tribulation on his journey, and that it hadn't stopped until he'd been placed into that pod. Sora's eyes didn't shine with the same glowing innocence and naivety that they once had, instead they had a sharp sparkle to them, like diamonds or steel that showed how greatly he had changed. His eyes told her, that he wasn't a child anymore, but a young man that had a task to do, and he knew it would have to be accomplished, no matter what. Kairi smiled a bit to herself as she felt Sora's hand touch her face in a gentle manner, his thumb brushing under her right eye.

"What are you thinking about, Kairi?" he asked.

"I guess… about how much you've changed since you left Riku and me on the island… and when we found you…" Sora smiled a bit.

"I haven't changed that much, have I?" he questioned as Kairi looked into his eyes.

" _Have I changed so much that you don't even recognize me anymore?"_

"You… have… but I know your still you… I guess it was just a lot to take in when we saw you again because… we weren't there to see you change." Sora laughed.

"Yea, I can see why you would feel that way. But think about it, I'm in the same boat! The two of you changed too… Riku's hair got really long, which was weird… and he's really tall… and his voice changed a bit, and then there's you…" he said as Kairi looked to him.

"What do you mean?" the boy brushed her hair behind her ear.

"Your hair got longer, you got taller, and changed how you dressed… how you carried yourself… and you became really…" Kairi rose an eyebrow.

"Sora?" the boy's cheeks started to darken.

"You became so beautiful. When we were kids, I always thought you were the prettiest girl I knew… but now, you're beautiful… you put the other princesses to shame…" Kairi felt her face darken as Sora glanced to the side, seeming embarrassed to say something so personal, but hoping that she agreed with him.

"Sora… that's so sweet…" she reached out and brushed his bangs from his face and she smiled.

"Kairi… I'm sorry about not telling you about the Drive Forms… I shouldn't have kept it a secret… but…" aquamarine eyes looked him over.

"What is it?" she asked as Sora sat up and wrapped an arm around her waist, startling her a bit at how swiftly he moved, before nuzzling her throat just a bit as Kairi felt a tiny laugh come to her as the boy's lips grazed her pulse point.

"I'm still keeping secrets…" the girl paused, her hands fisting his shirt.

"What are you… still hiding?" Sora pulled her closer to where she was seated in his lap, and wrapped his arms tightly around her waist before casting a faint breath over her throat. Kairi gulped a bit as he gave her a ghost-like kiss on her jaw and a tremble escaped her lips.

"Things that, if I told you or the others what it was… you'd… probably be afraid of me…" Kairi felt her body tense against him as she slowly reached forward, and brushed a hand against his face, sky-blue eyes looking to her.

"Why would I be afraid of you? Sora? Look at me," she said as he stared up into her eyes.

"Because… if you saw this thing you'd understand… when it happens… I'm not me anymore Kairi… I lose myself." She frowned.

"That doesn't make sense, Sora. I know you, and I know you're far too kind to just…" the boy pushed her down and pinned her arms. Kairi stared, wide-eyed, as he kept his eyes from looking at her as his body trembled a bit.

"You don't know me, Kairi….I know I'm kind, and gentle towards those I love, and I get that I'm what most would call innocent, but I'm not really….all that gentle, not like you or the others think I am….and I'm sorry….I don't mean to scare you….and I just want you to listen and understand that…." Kairi used the loosened hold on her wrists to reach up as he sat back and looked to her as she reached for his face and brushed her fingers under his eyes, and her thumb over his lips. None of those words suited him, and the tone he used suited the Sora she knew even less, but Kairi knew there was a reason for him talking like he was.

"I don't like those words coming from you, and I don't like that tone you're using. Sora, you aren't cruel, and you aren't dark….Sora…" sky-blue glanced her way.

"Kairi, it's not whether or not I'm cruel, or dark, or…" she kissed him, and he stared at her momentarily before she brushed his bangs from his eyes, only for them to fall back into place.

"Sora, listen to me. No matter what you do, or have done….you're still innocent. Where you were, what you've had to go through….you're still growing up, and you're still learning and facing the struggles of life…we all are…but you are still innocent," she said. Sora glanced down and then placed a gentle hand on her face as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Just promise me something, Kairi?" she looked him in the eyes. The same eyes that had caused her to take the chance and kiss him when she wasn't sure he returned those feelings, and she understood another key detail about Sora.

"What?" he took in a faintly deep breath.

"I want you to promise me that if you see that side of me, that you'll bring me back…..please…." the pleading in his voice was enough for her to wrap her arms around him, pulling her to him.

"No matter how far you go….I'll always find a way to bring you back….just so long as you promise….that you'll come back." Sora smiled faintly as he leaned back a bit against the bed, and Kairi followed him, before snuggling up to him, and closing her eyes as the two of them slowly fell asleep.

"Kairi?"

"Hmm?"

"I'll find a way back….I promise." The girl merely smiled as they fell asleep in the warm rays of a summer sunset.

 **{…}**

 _I hate this wait…_

 **{…}**

 **Author's Note:** I don't really know why, but these last few chapters haven't been nearly as bad as I thought they would be – now watch these last two chapters give me hell – but for the time being, I'm more worried about getting this story done so I can return my focus to Genesis and get Cypher cleaned up, and add in a few bonuses to Darker Dream Distance. Well, tell me what you guys think, and I'll look for your reviews.

Sincerely,

ShadowDragon94.


	19. Chapter 19: Farewell

Day 19: Farewell

 **{Outskirts of Twilight Town: 8:34am}**

"Are you sure that we should meet them at the station?" asked Prompto as Noctis looked around the old mansion ruins.

"Might as well. Sora and the others handled the Heartless on their own, and we're only supposed to be here to step in if they need help, and to also make sure they get to Master Yen Sid's tower without too much trouble." The blonde eyed his friend.

Though Noctis came back to his homeworld of Eos regularly, the young King-to-be also was gone more often than not. Most recently, his adventures had sent him to a world known as Millennium, where he ended up bringing back two new additions to the groups involved in the Coalition.

Prompto often wanted to tag along for the ride, knowing that having someone to back you up on a mission always made it easier; however, he also knew that having gone to Millennium at that point with Noctis, may have made his friend's job harder. Without question, when he'd returned, the black-haired, midnight-blue eyed teenager had recanted the events to Prompto, Ignis, and Gladio in detail, letting them know what he'd experienced there, as well as what sort of chaos that world was in.

Prompto smiled, recalling his meeting with Jaden Yuki and Yusei Fudo, and how interesting the two teenagers were, not to mention: how different. Yusei was calm, collected, and rarely showed much of his genuine age, but he was a nice person, and seemed like the kind of friend you wanted to have in these circumstances. Then, there was Jaden, energetic, spastic, fun-loving, and always moving, the brunette was a mess, but another person that struck Prompto as a good friend to have. In total, Noctis had been able to tell him that Jaden and Yusei were important to their homeworld, and would be seeking tutelage under Master Yen Sid's directive for the time being before they would be returning to their homeworld to begin finding others who were similar to themselves.

"How do you think those new Keyblade Bearers are gonna take us being there?" Prompto asked.

"We'll find out. Sora knows me and the rest of you, so it shouldn't be a big deal." Noctis flipped open a small box sitting on the dresser in one of the abandoned bedrooms and the blonde sighed.

"Good a time as any, I guess… so… find anything interesting?" he questioned as the black-haired boy looked at the box's contense.

"Yea, but I wonder why someone would leave something like this in here…" the black-haired boy picked up the item, showing an ornately made silver locket with roses and vines carved into the front of it alongside pale pink, white, and sharp blue stones.

"Whoa… maybe we should just leave it…" Noctis rose an eyebrow as he looked into the box and found a note within it that had a familiar emblem at the bottom.

"Actually, I think it would be smarter to take this to Master Yen Sid," he stated as he showed the other the letter, and Prompto quickly read it.

"Holy – "Noctis nodded, putting the letter and locket back into the box before picking it up, and taking it out of the room.

"Come on, we gotta get to Specks and Gladio. We're supposed to meet Sora and the others at Roxas's home just before they leave. Cari?" the white Carbuncle appeared around the Lucian Prince's shoulders.

"Yea Noct?" Prompto watched the little creature as Noctis scratched her behind the ears.

"Can you go inform Sora that we're here to escort him and the others. He won't like it, but Master Yen Sid doesn't like the fact that so many Heartless have been showing up," he said.

"Got'cha! Be back in a bit!" with that, Cari vanished and Prompto smiled.

"She's something else, huh?" Prompto asked.

"Yea, but what else do you expect from a familiar like her? Anyways, I just realized something…" the blonde looked to him as the others rejoined them in the foyer.

"Is that something you found Noct?" the other looked to Gladio.

"Yea, and it needs to get to Master Yen Sid. I think he might find it interesting," he stated.

"Very well, I will take care of it until then. Now, we should be heading into town to meet with Master Sora and Master Riku in order to escort them." Prompto eyed his friend.

"By the way Noct, what did you realize?" the midnight-blue eyed Prince looked at the other three.

"You haven't seen Sora since he was thirteen years old…." Ignis nodded.

"Correct, in the Olympus Coliseum," he responded.

"Right… well… be prepared… he's… different." Gladio rolled his eyes as they walked out of the mansion.

"It's been three years, I wouldn't expect him to look the same," the tallest of the four mentioned.

"No, I'm not talking about just his appearance…" Prompto looked the other over.

"You mean his behavior's different." Noctis nodded.

"Just wait until we meet them, you'll see what I'm talking about," he mentioned as they started into town, Ignis using a shrinking spell on the box that he put into his pocket before they went further into the town and towards the directions that they had been given to Roxas's home.

 **{Roxas's House: 9:00am}**

Roxas looked at his hometown from the rooftop of his house. This would be the final time in who knew how many years that he would see it, and he wanted to remember it as perfectly as it was then. It hadn't been something the blonde had expected when those dreams had started up, to find that he had been chosen to help save the universe alongside Namine and a trio of rather odd youths. A sigh left him as he heard a series of footsteps come up behind him and he turned to see Sora standing in the doorway of the stairwell.

His black attire with its yellow straps, red pockets, and red-and-blue shirt underneath the armor on the shoulders of his short-sleeved half-jacket made him appear almost otherworldly, and the notion almost made Roxas laugh, because the words were true. Sora was otherworldly, in the sense that the world he was in now, wasn't where he was originally from. The sunlight caused his chestnut colored hair to shine with copper-amber tones as his sky-blue eyes almost took on a distinct glow while he stood there, arms crossed over his chest in a manner that made him seem unapproachable, and eye-catching, but dangerous. The blonde shook the strange thoughts from his mind as he sent him a small smile, knowing that the other was most likely here to talk with him.

"Seems odd to be leaving, huh?" Sora asked as Roxas nodded.

"You could say that…" the chestnut-haired youth sent him a small smile.

"I think you and Namine will like Disney Castle. King Mickey is incredibly nice, and Master Yen Sid isn't too bad, once you get to know him. Queen Minnie is sweet and really motherly towards all of us, as is Lady Daisy, and Donald and Goofy are great… Pluto, the King's dog, is nice and loves new people… Clarabelle is the nurse, and she's a big-time mother hen and hates seeing people hurt… everyone at the castle is like one big, dysfunctional family," he mentioned as Roxas laughed.

"Dysfunctional, that's well-suited for what I've seen so far." The chestnut-haired Keyblade Master shrugged.

"Yea, it's not normally to insane or…. Oh! Who am I kidding? It's always that insane! You and Namine are going to go crazy with how off-kilter all this can get!" Roxas looked the boy over.

"You must be completely loony, then, after almost two years in this mess," he told Sora this, and the boy laughed.

"No kidding…. everyone in our little family is strange, dysfunctional, psychotic, comical, and absolutely wonderful…. right down to the insane fairies that live in the glen."

"Don't tell me…. they talk a lot?" Sora gave him a long look.

"No, one does, and it comes up to me and says: Hey! Listen! And I typically bring a mason jar with me, so that when it comes up, I lock it away and put it away from me until I'm ready to leave…. otherwise, it never goes quiet. I used a fly swatter last time it showed up in the palace gardens, and it chased me around for a good hour…." Roxas looked the other over as he recanted his tale of the fairy.

"That bad, huh?" Sora gave him a long look.

"You have no idea," he stated.

"Something tells me you guys are going to make us realize this isn't always just as serious as we believe it to be, huh?" Roxas was given a once over.

"No, this is going to be a nightmare for you and Namine…." The blonde looked at the brunette.

"Why?" an abnormally demonic smile split Sora's features, and Roxas took a step back.

"I'm your instructor…." The voice the other boy used matched the evil smile, and Roxas momentarily questioned his choice to come with the other.

"The fuck is with that smile? That's creepy!" sky-blue eyes turned into a puppy-dog look as a playful smile came onto Sora's face.

"I have no idea what you're talking about…" the boy smiled as he put his hands in his pockets and looked to the view ahead of them.

 _"I'm beginning to think that the person standing beside me has dissociative identity disorder…. question is…. how do I prove it? And how do I know when I'm talking to nice Sora? And when I'm talking to Murder Button Mode Sora?"_

"Roxas? Are you and Namine going to be okay?" Roxas sighed in relief.

"I think we'll be okay…we've got Riku the oppressive joker, Kairi the sweet girl from hell, and Sora the _happy-go-lucky psychopath_ … how could we not be okay?" he said jokingly.

"Funny, Rox, funny… I'm not insane, I just have the ability to trick people sometimes…. I'm not entirely innocent, but I'm not a psychopath…I'm just…Sora…." He smiled to his friend, and Roxas returned it.

"Okay Sora, I believe you, but I still think you're insane!" he stated. The brunette shrugged.

"I've been called worse things." Roxas nudged Sora, who smiled.

"We'll be okay, right?" Sora looked the other over.

"Yea, with me, Kairi, and Riku teaching you, there's no way you guys won't be top notch in no time!" another bright smile, and Roxas returned it.

 _"Then again, if Sora can be a little insane, that's fine…I'll take it as long as all of us can help those we care for."_ As soon as the thought left him, a small white foxlike creature with a ruby horn and giant ears appeared on the roof with them, startling the blonde who let out a loud yelp of shock as Sora looked to it.

"Cari?" he asked as the creature looked to him jovially.

"SORA!" the carbuncle cheered as she jumped towards him and the Keyblade Master caught her in his arms while Roxas stared at it.

"D-Did that just talk?" he questioned as Cari looked to him.

"So, you're the new guy… I can tell…" she flicked her tail and Sora smiled, scratching her behind her ears.

"If you're here, then that means Noctis must be around," the chestnut-haired sixteen-year-old mentioned.

"Yup! Master Yen Sid sent Noctis, Prompto, Gladio, and Ignis to come and escort all of you guys to the train station!" Sora smiled a bit as he continued to scratch her ears and Roxas just watched him.

While Sora seemed insane at times, and definitely had a wild streak in him, the things he was seeing right then, startled him to some degree. The Keyblade Master had shown him different sides of himself over the last few days, ranging between his sarcastic side, his mouthier side, the part of him that was jovial, cunning, witty, fierce, deadly, and courageous, but during all of that, he'd never actually seen the other display a completely relaxed or kind side except towards Kairi and Riku, and himself when he was trying to reason with him. Seeing Sora holding onto the little creature in his arms gently, talking with it in a calm tone, his expression neutral and eyes warm, surprised him in a manner that he hadn't expected it too.

" _He's so different from what I thought he would be… since the second I met him outside of those dreams… Sora's shown me that while I do know him… I don't know him… and that kind of scares me… because I can't read him at all… he's like a tightly locked book that I don't have a key to."_

"So, when will they be here?" Sora asked Cari who hummed.

"Mmmm… about ten minutes. Are all of you ready to leave?" Roxas slowly approached the duo and the white creature looked to him.

"I-I um…" Sora laughed a bit, showing Roxas a beaming smile.

"This is Cari, she's the familiar of one of our allies. You'll like him and his friends, they're really nice. So, we should head downstairs, they'll be here to get us soon," he stated as he started down the stairs and Roxas sighed before he took one more look at the city and smiled a bit to himself and turned around, walking away and down the stairwell. It was time to say goodbye, and begin the next step in the journey he and Namine were about to embark on.

Downstairs, Kairi was helping Namine make sure she had everything packed up in her backpack that she'd brought over the night before while Roxas had already done what he needed to and went over to get his backpack on before looking to the others who were near Sora as he explained the situation, holding onto the small creature while the blonde took in a deep breath, looking around the small house once more. It would be the last time he saw this place, and he had made sure to pack away everything he wanted to take with him, the rest he made sure to tell Hayner and Pence to take care of while Namine had done the same with Olette. The teenager took in a deep breath and looked towards the others as Kairi took the white foxlike creature from Sora as a knock on the door came and Riku opened it.

The four people who came into the room, made the five teenagers nervous. Dressed in all black, they entered the home, looking around as Kairi hid a bit behind Sora, somewhat spooked by the four people as the one with glasses adjusted them and the tallest of the four looked them over while a gangly blonde sent them a smile and the black-haired, midnight-blue eyed teenager smirked just a fraction.

Roxas and Namine felt the energy that came off the other, making the hairs on the backs of their necks stand on end as the teenager's midnight blue eyes glanced their way before Riku stepped aside, the group eyeing him and then the dark-blue eyed teenager that had caused the two blondes to be so uncomfortable, looked towards the trio of Keyblade Bearers.

"You gonna hide behind them the whole time?" the black-haired teenager asked.

"Na, just letting everyone get into the room." Sora stepped away from Kairi as he came to stand in front of the other.

"Good to see you Sora," the other stated as he reached out, musing the younger teenager's hair.

"Hey, stop that Noctis!" he swatted his hands away while the other three with the person whom appeared to be named Noctis grinned brightly at his friend. sky-blue eyes turned to the three of them who only gawked at him.

"Prompto, Ignis, Gladio! It's good to see you guys," Sora stated as he came to stand beside them, a bright grin on his face.

The trio only stared at him a moment before going into greeting him, commenting on how much he'd grown since they'd last seen him. It was a truthful statement in regard to the last time the three Kingsglaive members had seen the young Keyblade Bearer three years ago. Sora had gotten taller, his skin-tone had changed, his hair having become lighter, faded from the chocolate color it had been to the distinct shade of chestnut it was now, and his eyes had gone from having that shy, innocent spark in them, to a sharper, and more prominent shine to them. The little boy they'd met in the Olympus Coliseum World, timid, and stuttering, new to his job as a Keyblade Bearer and unsure of everything: was gone. The young man that stood before them now, was a skilled, and prepared warrior who seemed sure of himself, no longer timid or scared of those around him, and certain of his task as a Keyblade Master.

" _He's completely different… I can feel it just by looking into his eyes,"_ Prompto thought.

"Well, you've most certainly grown up into a fine young man. And I hear that you are in a relationship with Kairi, how wonderful." Ignis's statement had the Keyblade Master only smiling as the others watched the interaction.

"So, you guys have met before?" asked Riku.

"Yea, this is Prince Noctis of Lucis, and three of his Royal Guards, Prompto Argentum, Ignis Scientia, and Gladiolus Amicitia. They're friends of Cloud and Squall, plus, Noctis helped me out during some things that happened when I was in the Olympus Coliseum world." Namine felt her eyes widen.

"Wait, Noctis was one of your friends? The one who took out the Cyclops?" she questioned.

"That'd be me." The girl looked into the other's midnight blue eyes and blinked momentarily.

"But you're not a Keyblade Bearer?" Roxas asked him.

"Um… no, I'm not. Just the soon to be King of Lucis…" the others rose an eyebrow.

"Lucis? Where's that?" inquired Olette.

"In Eos, our homeworld. It's not too far from here, actually…. Just about ten worlds over… but anyways, the train is going to be arriving at ten-fifteen. We better get you kids to the station."

"Right… come on everyone, it's time to go," Riku stated as he looked at the lot of people before they started out the door.

It was a bittersweet feeling for Roxas, walking out of the door of his home, closing it tightly with the key to his door before relaying the item to Pence who promised to keep it safe for him while he was gone. The home would become a safe place for Keyblade Bearers should they need somewhere to go in Twilight Town, Riku having marked it as a place of safety before Noctis had arrived. As they walked with the group, the two blondes in the midst of the people, noticed something strange about Noctis's midnight-blue eyes. They had a distinct oval shaped pupil to them, showing a cunning, agility, and prowess of a wild feline, and causing Namine to stare at him in questioning. The Lucian Prince struck her as sincerely odd for the matter that he felt as though he wasn't quite human.

Namine, unlike most people, believed in the paranormal – as did most of the residents of Twilight Town – and had a firm feeling that those creatures co-existed alongside mortals all the time, but were never noticed only because they knew how to camouflage themselves almost perfectly. Ice-blue eyes looked the black-haired teenager over, and then glanced to Sora who was talking with him, the two catching each other up on what was happening recently, the others watching and listening to the conversation as the two continued to their conversation. Namine sighed, wondering what the backstory of Sora really was, and what his, Riku, and Kairi's lives had been like up until this point. Taking in a deep breath, she looked to her sister and reached out, tapping her shoulder a bit as the red-haired girl turned her gaze on her.

"Namine? Is something wrong?" she asked as they started to fall a bit behind the group, but not to the point that they would be separated.

"What's Sora's backstory?" Kairi rose an eyebrow.

"He, Riku, and I grew up on the Destiny Islands, but he doesn't remember much about how his family came to live there," she explained.

"No…. I'm talking about what… made him a Keyblade Bearer? And why does it seem like Sora's gone through some pretty scary things? Like he's not how he once was." Kairi bit her lip.

"Listen, Sora and Riku went through some dangerous and very traumatic experiences in April… I was there… and the things I saw still scare me sometimes…" she mentioned.

"Then what happened?" aquamarine eyes looked to ice-blue ones.

"It's not time to tell you anything about that right now, can you wait?" Kairi pleaded as Namine took in a deep breath.

"Alright, I'll wait."

 **{Train Station: 9:40am}**

Sora watched as Roxas and Namine said their farewells to their friends, talking as Noctis, Prompto, Ignis, and Gladio stood nearby, watching the group of Keyblade Bearers discuss things with the Twilight Town trio while Roxas prepared himself for the departure. They were roughly fifteen minutes early for the train, but that gave them all time to prepare themselves for the moment when they left the place they'd known their whole life, and went to the next destination in their lives. Namine looked to him and smiled, clasping his hand in hers as they glanced to one another and she nodded to him, and he slowly smiled as Olette, Pence, and Hayner gave him and Namine a series of tight embraces as they started to say their goodbyes.

"He's definitely changed," stated Ignis as Noctis glanced his way.

"Yea, not that I expected Sora to stay as innocent as he was when we first met him. Not after what he endured." Prompto looked to the chestnut-haired teenager.

"When I first saw him, I kinda got confused… he's grown up so much and the way he feels is drastically different from how I remember him," the blonde admitted.

"Your remembering the little kid we met almost three years ago… from the looks of things, he's long since outgrown the attitude he had beforehand…" Noctis shook his head.

"It's not that he's outgrown it… it's more like what happened to me…" he mentioned, arms crossed over his chest as Prompto eyed his friend.

"You mean going on a crazy adventure, learning horrific and terrible truths, and turning into a supernatural creature with a thirst for blood and power from the stars along the way?" Noctis punched him in the arm.

"Not that you idiot! What happened to me is from my mom and dad's heritage! Sora… isn't what I am… Celestia and I are the only ones like that from what we know… anyways… that's not my point," he stated with a glower.

"Chill, I get it. So, what was the point?" Noctis took in a deep breath.

"Sora endured a lot of pain and suffering… he was changed by his experiences… not from an internal force, but an external one," he said.

"The Dream Drop is possible the thing that reformed him the most… those sorts of ordeals do not allow one to simply walk away." Ignis's statement hung in the air as he fixed his glasses, and Noctis nodded a bit.

"I wasn't there, but I heard the full story from Yuuichiro Hyakuya later on… what they went through… it was nothing short of hell…" Gladio sighed.

"And yet, we're still gonna send him, and those other kids into the middle of it?" he asked.

"They can do it… so long as everyone else is there to back them up… that's our jobs as members of the World Tree Coalition… just like keeping somethings secret is our job as well." A whistle alerted the group of teenagers as Noctis came forward and a purple train with golden trim, moons, and stars pulled into the tracks just behind them.

"Whoa… that's some train," stated Hayner.

"This is Master Yen Sid… he does nothing half-assed, that's for sure…" Sora blew his bangs out of his eyes as Noctis nudged him a bit.

"Don't we know it. Now, this train will take you directly to his tower, and he'll make sure you get home on the same train afterwards. Okay?" Noctis explained as Sora nodded.

"Got it… well… I guess its time for us to go…" he looked to Olette, Hayner, and Pence who seemed a bit tense as they looked them all over and then to Roxas and Namine, going to them and sweeping the two blondes into a tight embrace as the five friends gave each other one last hug, a farewell just before Noctis walked over and opened the train's door.

"I'll be heading on with you guys to the Mysterious Tower. Prompto, Ignis, Gladio? I need the three of you to track it back to Hollow Bastion, m'kay? I'll be there with the next mission once I report in to Master Yen Sid," Noctis stated as the other three nodded.

"Got it, see ya later Noct." With that the trio left and Olette looked at the black-haired teenager.

"Umm…" midnight-blue met juniper colored eyes.

"Something wrong?" he questioned.

"N-No… I just… you're really close with Sora, right?" Noctis smiled.

"Yea, we're pretty good friends," he admitted.

"Can you make sure that he, Riku, and Kairi take care of Roxas and Namine? And that the five of them are safe?" Olette seemed concerned, it shined in her eyes, appeared in the tiny tremble of her voice, to which he could only smile and nod to grant her a bit of peace of mind.

"I'll make sure they're fine, but… you should probably know that Sora's pretty protective of those he thinks as friends… not to mention, he's dating Kairi… so, he'll protect Namine because that's his girlfriend's sister… and then there's Riku… he's kinda the big brother… to everyone, and he's personally in charge of taking care of Sora… so, don't worry… Roxas and Namine couldn't be in safer hands," Noctis assured her with a gentle smile as Olette nodded.

"Alright… I'll trust you… Sora? Riku? Kairi?" the trio looked to her as she came forward and pulled them into a quick hug, Pence following up to grant them all a hug as well before looking at Hayner who sighed, walking forward as he looked to Kairi with a small smile, then to Riku who he only nodded to and finally, to Sora.

"Take care of them, got it? Keyblade Master?" Hayner asked as he held his hand out to Sora.

"Sure, I get it… you guys take care of yourselves too, m'kay?" the other returned it and Hayner nodded.

"We will. Now, go on and get out of here… you can't keep this Grand Master guy waiting," he said as he stepped back, and everyone boarded the train, waving to the trio as the door shut and everyone started to sit down.

"So, um, will the train just go or… "Noctis smirked and reached forward, placing his hand on the gold lever present on the wall as Roxas swallowed.

"What? Are you gonna – "Noctis jerked the lever down, and the train rocketed off, startling the group of teenagers as he chuckled a bit and Roxas screamed in shock.

"WROOOONG LEVEEEEEER!"

 **{…..}**

 _I'll follow you, if you follow me…_

 **{….}**

 **Author's Note:** The Emperor's New Groove joke has returned! Now, in the next chapter we get a meet and greet with Master Yen Sid, the group's arrival at the castle, and a little down time as Roxas and Namine meet everyone. Then! We have one final chapter, and we're done. Tell me what you guys think!

Sincerely,

ShadowDragon94.


	20. Chapter 20: Tower of Mystery

Day 20: Tower of Mystery

 **{Railways: August 28** **th** **, 2013, 10:04am}**

"Have you calmed down yet?" asked Sora as he crouched next to Roxas who was lying on the floor.

"T-That w-was… s-scary!" the blonde shot up and Sora laughed a bit before grabbing the other's upper arm to help pull him up to his feet.

"Please, that was nothing," Sora told him as Roxas sunk into his seat next to Namine while Noctis watched, amused by the situation.

"You think that's scary? Wait until you see the Mysterious Tower's staircases." Roxas found himself going pale.

"Are they booby-trapped? Do they move? Have levers? Ghosts? Psychopathic creatures around every turn?" he questioned as Noctis shook his head.

"No, it's far worse…" Roxas flinched.

"H-How?" Sora looked to him.

"There's about twelve-hundred steps to get into the loft at the top of it," he answered as Roxas slumped back in his seat with a noise that displayed the fact that his mind couldn't take the stress as Sora and Noctis shared a laugh.

"Come on now, guys! Don't pick on him…" Namine put her arm around her boyfriend and ran her fingers through his hair.

"Relax, the worst thing about that tower is Master Yen Sid when he's in a bad mood," Sora explained as he put his arms behind his head and leaned back against his seat.

"So… what's he like?" sky-blue eyes looked to Namine.

"Hmm… Master Yen Sid is a very old and wise wizard, and a former Keyblade Master. Now, because of the diminished numbers of our kind, he's become the Grand Master, the head overseer of all current Keyblade Bearers," Sora explained.

"Diminished numbers?" Roxas looked to the chestnut-haired boy before frowning.

"Unfortunately, there aren't many Keyblade Bearers." Namine looked him over.

"How many of us are there?" she questioned.

"Myself, Riku, Kairi, the two of you, Master Yen Sid, King Mickey, and… I think about two or so others… that equals at about… eight or nine of us excluding _him_." The two blondes perked up at the statement.

"Nine of us?! That's it?" asked Namine as Noctis glanced to the side.

"Unfortunately, there aren't many people out there who fit the criteria for a Keyblade Bearer… it's a very picky weapon, so… the two of you are the newest editions that we've gotten…" the words hung heavily upon everyone's shoulders for a moment, and then Roxas thought of something.

"Whose… this other guy you mentioned?" he questioned. Noctis eyed him and then looked to Sora who gave the blonde a surly look.

"I don't really know if talking about that topic before meeting Master Yen Sid is a good idea…" Riku looked to his friend.

"Personally, I think covering the basics will be more than enough for the time being. They're involved, so they have a right to know," he mentioned as Sora sighed.

"Fine, the guy I mentioned… he's… another Keyblade Master." Namine looked to him.

"Then why do you sound like you're not pleased to have him as an ally?" she probed.

"Because… he's the reason the Heartless are flourishing… the reason worlds are being threatened… why creatures known as Nobodies are floating around, tormenting others, stealing hearts, and making more of their kind… its also the reason that a very vile organization exists." The two blondes watched the others and then turned to Sora once more.

"So… he's our enemy? But I thought that Keyblades were of light, not darkness!" Roxas stated as Riku shook his head.

"My Keyblade, Way to the Dawn, is a Keyblade of Darkness… Sora's Oblivion Keyblade is as well. Keyblades, just like people… can be divided into two different types: Light Attribute and Dark Attribute. The Wielder doesn't exactly matter when it comes to those attributes, because those kinds of Keyblades work for both sides." Namine bit her lip.

"Then this guy… he's a Keyblade Bearer for the Darkness?" Kairi nodded.

"Unfortunately, he is. Sora knows more about him than Riku or I do… because he's encountered his Heartless and Nobody before," she explained.

Roxas and Namine let the words sink in deeply. They had overheard someone of what Noctis had mentioned on the platform, that something terrible had happened to Sora during April, and there was a lot that even they weren't willing to mention; however, what really struck them, was the mentioning of this thing known as the World Tree Coalition, and now, who this Dark Keyblade Bearer was. Ocean-blue eyes ghosted over Sora's lithe form, his mind registering the tenseness in his shoulders, the way he kept his eyes averted, and how his right hand was fisting his pants leg. All of those little details, told Roxas that this was a topic Sora wasn't comfortable with, but at the same time, needed to discuss. Taking in a deep breath, Roxas looked to Riku and then Noctis who was watching out the window as they passed through constellations and small colorful specks that Roxas guessed were other worlds before he turned his gaze fully on Sora.

"What's this Keyblade Bearers name?" he inquired.

"Xehanort Erebus, the leader of Organization Thirteen… whose plan is to capture the power of Kingdom Hearts… and… do something with it's power… in addition to that… he's also using the thirteen members of the Organization as vessels for fragments of his heart, making it to where he and they can reincarnate… so it's going to be an endless cycle." Namine felt her eyes grow wide as Roxas clenched his teeth, not liking how the information made his stomach churn uncomfortably.

"Have you ever faced him?" asked Namine.

"Not personally, but when I was thirteen, I ended up fighting his Heartless… which had a human form… and then I fought his Nobody alongside Riku, Kairi, and a few other friends of ours in April… since then, the Organization has been fairly quiet… which has me worried…" Roxas swallowed nervously.

"So… the Heartless and this Organization are our enemies… right? Then what's the end game here? What does Xehanort want?" Noctis shook his head at the question.

"The problem is no one's really sure what his plans are. He seems to want to control the worlds… but he also has this fixation on this thing called Kingdom Hearts… we're not certain on whether or not it's a power or a land… maybe even both, but if he wants it, we know it has to be protected and he cannot get his hands on it," he explained.

"If he starts a fight… what are we looking at?" Sora leaned back in his seat.

"An Interworld war… something that's going to affect every single world out there, sparing none and possibly ending many of them, wiping them from existence, creating an influx of Heartless and so much more…" Namine swallowed nervously.

"Basically, a war to end all wars," she muttered.

"Bingo, so, that's why the lot of you and all of our allies have our work cut out for us. If you want though, I can assure you that most if not all of us can handle ourselves just fine. So, don't worry about having allies who can't hold their own." Sora nodded.

"Noctis is right, everyone within the Coalition is more than able to handle themselves," he assured the two blondes.

"Coalition?" Riku smirked a bit.

"The Keyblade Bearers and several others are part of a massive group of allies that are joined together for a common cause, known as the World Tree Coalition. Our job is to protect the worlds, find other Keyblade Bearers, and put an end to Xehanort no matter what it takes… so naturally… there's a decent number of us," he said.

"The World Tree Coalition… why that name?" Noctis shrugged.

"It's based on an old story about an ancient tree that connected all the worlds supposedly. There's no proof of its existence, but that's where the name stems from," he answered.

"Oh… okay… so… what's the Mysterious Tower li-"the train lurched to a halt and the group of six looked out the windows at the lush grounds of an island with a ornate tower on it floating amidst the stars and clouds.

"You're about to see…"

The six exited the train, seeing the tower just ahead of them as they started forward, walking towards it with a relaxed pace while Roxas and Namine fell into pace with the others as they started to draw closer to the building. The blue-roofed, sandstone tower stood in a slightly ominous fashion, windows and golden moons and stars engraved into the sides of the building, catching light off the stars in the sky as they made it to the steps and the heavy wooden doors opened, leading them into a foyer filled with carved stone and wood, a staircase leading up into a curve as they looked down to see a four-pointed lotus design on the floor in black and blue colors made from what seemed to be polished stone and glass. The group eyed the area once more, and Sora waved towards Roxas and Namine, having them follow him and the others up the stairwell.

The moment they went around the first curve of the stairs, the two blondes saw how many stairs were present and could only swallow nervously as they started up the stairs, walking quietly while observing the randomized doors and landings that were present in the stairwell as they went further and further up until they had arrived at their destination. There was a heavy wooden door, carved with a sigil of a Keyblade and a wand upon it in a X shape with a crescent moon and star over the meeting point of the two objects. Roxas and Namine eyed it in curiosity, and waited as Sora knocked on the door and a second later it swung open.

They were ushered into the room, seeing it to be a large loft area with a fireplace, dark stained wooden floors, crescent moon and star windows and rows of bookshelves affixed to the walls while a giant blue door stood off to the righthand side of it all. Settled in the middle of the room, was a broad, wooden desk with a few large, thick tomes laid upon it, a candle made from what seemed to be a human skull set on the corner to the left of it, while sat at the desk, in a wooden high-backed chair, was an aged man in a wizard's hat and blue robes with sharp dark eyes, and a long grayish-white beard. He stood upon them entering, and the group of teenagers waited until the door closed, knowing that there would be a lengthy conversation ahead of them.

"I am pleased to see you have made it here safely, Master Sora, Master Riku, Princess Kairi, Prince Noctis… and… our two newest Keyblade Bearers," the wizard stated.

"Thank you, Master Yen Sid. How are you doing?" the man smiled as he sat down.

"Well enough. Now, Prince Noctis? Have events gone well on your end?" Master Yen Sid inquired.

"Yes, everything's gone fine. No need to worry about it, Prompto, Ignis, and Gladio are waiting on me in Hollow Bastion for the next mission right now." The sage nodded.

"Good, I have a task of checking in on a few worlds for us, if you would? I have the roster here for you to take and head forth immediately, if you would do so," the Former Keyblade Master stated as Noctis nodded and walked forward, grabbing the item and bowing steadily to the Grand Master.

"I'll take it and head out right now. If there's nothing else, you need me for." The sage shook his head.

"No, you may go… please stop by the library and let Jaden and Yusei know that you're here. They've been asking how you are," Master Yen Sid told him.

"Will do, have fun kids. See you later, okay Sora?" the chestnut-haired Keyblade Master nodded to him.

"Yea, see ya later!" he stated as Noctis waved to him slightly and left as Sora turned his attention back to Master Yen Sid.

"Now, I am pleased to see that your first assignment without the King's Court Magician and Captain of the Knights has gone by with little difficulty. However, you are a bit later than I had expected you to be." Sora flinched.

"I'm sorry… we got delayed because of the Heartless… they kept showing up, and we ended up in a bind. I apologize," the sixteen-year-old stated as Master Yen Sid eyed him.

"No, it is fine. However, in the future, do try to be on time more often, would you?" Sora and Riku nodded.

"Yes sir…" Riku stated as Roxas and Namine watched the exchange with anxiety.

"Now, come forth, the two newest Bearers of the Keyblade." The two blondes walked forward and looked to the aged Wizard who hummed as they swallowed nervously.

"Hello sir…" Namine said with faint worry in her tone.

"Be at ease, I am Yen Sid, Grand Master of the Keyblade Bearers, and one of the founders of the World Tree Coalition. It is a pleasure to meet you." The man tilted his head a fraction and the two bowed.

"My name is Namine Olamayne, it's nice to make your acquaintance, Master Yen Sid," she stated.

"As it is yours, Namine…" Roxas swallowed around the lump in his throat.

"I-I'm Roxas Lyster… pleasure to m-meet you, Master Yen Sid," he said as the wizard eyed him.

"To you as well, Roxas. Now, I am to address the matter at hand… what have you been made aware of? In the situation of the war we are within?" the two blondes glanced to Sora who averted his gaze and they took in a steady breath.

"Well… we know a bit about the Heartless… and a bit on Xehanort Erebus and his… Organization," Namine explained.

"I see… then troubling you on great details as to who they are will be left in the hands of your Master, Sora Seiren and his aid Master Riku Hirigaya." The two Masters nodded.

"Sora is going to be our Master?" asked Roxas.

"Indeed, Princess Kairi is already in the capable hands of Master Riku, and Master Sora has also aided him in training her… I see it within reason that the two of you will go to Master Sora for training. He is a very capable Keyblade Bearer, and I do not doubt that you will flourish with him guiding you." The blondes glanced to the chestnut-haired teenager who nodded his head to the wizard.

"They'll be fine with me. Roxas and Namine will be able to handle themselves just fine once I'm finished with them," Sora stated.

"Very well, now… I grant you time to train them, but I must warn you, Master Sora, and Master Riku… that in due time, many trials will arise, and danger will come with the Darkness. Be certain that they are prepared for the struggles that shall lay ahead" the two Masters nodded.

"We will, you know that our students will be in safe hands," Riku said as the wizard smiled a fraction, and then looked to Sora.

"On another subject, Master Sora? May I see the Keyblade you have recovered?" the chestnut-haired teenager flinched.

"How did you – "the Grand Master eyed him.

"There are many ways for me to uncover the truth, and as a well-seasoned Master of the Keyblade, be I former or current, I sense the pulse of a new Keyblade's power within your body. Now, please, show this Keyblade to me," Master Yen Sid stated as Sora took in a deep breath.

"Yes sir…"

Sora held his left hand out, and a blue-and-white toned Keyblade appeared. The base had a black to white-blue ombré effect, two X-shaped ribbons appeared in the color of white-silver near a midnight blue band, and the grip had white wings with blue tips, while it was shaped loosely like an inverted heart. Two sapphire gems were on the curves of the heart, and the teeth was formed out of sapphire and midnight blue flowers, white vines, and a white flower with a blue gem. The teeth itself was a white and off white-blue set of petals with blue accents. The last detail was the smaller crescent moon of midnight-blue and white at the end of the chain. Sora swung it, and it gave off a blue gleam that seemed to almost cause a ripple like water as it rested to his side as Master Yen Sid stood and Sora swallowed nervously.

"That Keyblade is very old, are you aware of that? Master Sora?" Master Yen Sid inquired.

"No, I'm not even sure how I ended up with it." Riku eyed the weapon, recalling the Keyblade Sora had drawn during the Dream Drop with a repressed shudder.

"That Keyblade is known as Twilight Illusions, and has always been known to seek those who are within a dream-like memory… perhaps it came to you from someone within your dream?" Master Yen Sid questioned.

"A dream like a memory? There was this woman in my dream… she had really long reddish-gold hair… her eyes were blue… and she was singing… I woke up next to a window, in a vast tower-like structure that looked over sprawling grounds and streams… she held this out to me and I took it before she told me to wake up… and that… the illusions of twilight would soon be over." The aged Wizard nodded.

"That seems to be a very vivid dream… so the Keyblade, did as it was meant to… and came to you within a dream… it is powerful, and able to distort reality, but unable to kill… it will be a good aid to you… just as that other one will be one day," Master Yen Sid stated as Sora nodded, vanishing the Keyblade and stepped back a bit as Roxas and Namine glanced to Riku and Kairi who seemed strangely pale.

" _It must have to do with that thing that happened in April… I'm going to find out about it, so hopefully I'll have an answer as to why they all look so uncomfortable."_

"Now, as for what will come after this meeting, Roxas and Namine will return to Disney Castle and begin their training. Also, I suspect that further training and practice with your Keyblades to further your own skills will be required, please do remember that, Master Riku, Master Sora… after all… experience is many things, but, practice, even amongst teaching, will qualify you as a better teacher than anything else," Master Yen Sid stated.

"We understand, and we'll make sure to keep up our training." Riku glanced to Sora.

"Can you keep up short-stack?" he asked as the boy narrowed his eyes.

"The better question is, can you _handle me?_ You over confident Ent…" Master Yen Sid watched with a faint bit of humor upon his features as Riku rolled his eyes musing the other's hair, and Sora swatted at his hands.

"Whatever you say, midget," Riku stated as he stopped, and was promptly kicked in the shin by Sora who crossed his arms over his chest as the silver-haired teen crouched, hissing in a bit of pain.

"You little demon!" Sora rolled his eyes.

"Perhaps you should recall to never underestimate your opponent, regardless of their size," Master Yen Sid mentioned as Sora looked to him.

"Master Yen Sid, not you too! Come on! That's not even remotely fair!" the wizard looked at the boy and his expressive blue eyes that showed his annoyance while the aged Keyblade Master recalled something from long ago.

" _Master Yen Sid, come on! Not you too! That's not fair!"_ the elderly man smiled in a soft manner as Riku stood up and Sora glanced his way, a faint smile coming to his face as Roxas and Namine relaxed a bit while Kairi laughed a bit at the situation.

"I believe it is time that the five of you return home. I shall send you back via a portal, and you should arrive on the front lawns of the Disney Castle. I will see you soon, Roxas, Namine, Princess Kairi, Master Riku… Master Sore – Sora…" with that the Master Wizard waved his hand and a small corridor of blue light appeared, the five of them giving him their farewells before they exited through the corridor and vanished from sight.

The aged Wizard slumped back in his chair, a deep breath leaving him as his mind conjured forth memories from many ages ago, and he recalled a dear person as he closed his eyes. Every singe time he came into contact with Sora, his mind recalled the past, and events that were both good and bad, things he didn't want to remember, but couldn't bear to forget. He thought of times that most had forgotten, knowing of events that had come to pass and all the sorrow and joy that each passing moment had given him and those he had held dear to him. Many a days, Master Yen Sid, desired to return to those moments, where the ones he considered precious were still living, but he knew longing for days gone by, would do nothing but cause more pain, and thus, he let them remain as memories, his heart giving a painful throb as he opened his eyes to glance towards a photo on his desk.

"Master Yen Sid?" the voice of Oswald, his former magic student, called to him and he looked to his way.

"Yes? Oswald?" he asked.

"You seem upset, is something wrong?" the aged wizard took in a steady breath.

"I am getting old, Oswald… and the boy favors him more and more with every passing day," Master Yen Sid stated as Oswald glanced down.

"You almost said his name when addressing Master Sora… he is aware that you knew that man… but…" the wizard looked to his student.

"Speaking of him isn't a wise action." Oswald sighed.

"if you knew him, why not tell the truth? Would that not make it easier?" Master Yen Sid shook his head.

"I cannot tell them the truth, for it will not benefit anyone at this point," he explained.

"How come Sora reminds you of him?" the aged wizard sighed.

"Because… they both have so much light… despite how much pain they have endured," he said.

"If I can ask… how did you meet that boy? From all those years back?" asked Oswald. Master Yen Sid closed his eyes slightly.

"That day, in a town of endless night… I met a fragile, and broken creature covered in dirt and blood, weakened … tormented by the harsh life he'd been dealt… but amidst all of the pain and desire to end his own suffering, I saw such a gentle, and pure light within him… it shined within his eyes, even though they appeared to have lost all of their warmth and life… on that day, I met a child who had lost his will to live… and saved him…" Oswald smiled.

"He seems like he was an incredible person," he stated.

"In the beginning… he wasn't much to consider to any outsider that saw him… but over time… I watched him revive, and recollect himself… becoming something more than a broken orphan found in the midst of the dim streets… and one day… I looked to him… and realized, that the light I had seen in his eyes, had grown… into something incredible… a young warrior who had a heart of pure light…"

 **{Disney Castle Front Courtyard: 11:40am}**

King Mickey Mouse sighed as he paced back and forth on the steps of the castle, waiting for Sora and the others to return as his mind mulled through a series of thoughts. After the events of the Dream Drop, the King, had been unable to overcome the sense of guilt and fear he had felt at the sight of Sora attacking Riku and the others, and the wild look in his eyes. Sora, though he was a fierce warrior, had always been gentle and loving when it came to his comrades, but this side that had shown itself during those events, was vicious and wild, unfeeling and desired to harm others, regardless of whom they were. It was nothing like the boy he had come to know. Another sigh left him as he thought of the conversation he had held with Master Yen Sid just yesterday after receiving word from Komory, that Sora and the others would be returning home.

Though he had spoken with his former Master, the Master King, couldn't shake the feeling of pain that ebbed deep into his heart. The traumatic and terrifying events that had been the Dream Drop, had left all of those involved, with a great deal of pain and an even greater deal of recovering to do; however, it had been Sora who had suffered the worst of it. During those events, Sora had been forced to suffer through his heart and mind being shattered by Xemnas, his body, in a state of near-death, and the remains of his heart and mind, had forced him to fight, making him attack his allies without remorse, only to end up dying. King Mickey took in a deep breath, his mind still attempting to fathom how on earth the child had even come back to life after what had been done to his body, but he had revived, and had fought alongside his comrades.

However, it had been at a price. Due to the physical, emotional, and mental strain he'd endured, Sora had developed post traumatic stress disorder, and even though he was learning how to cope, there were moments, where Sora suffered greatly, to the point that he was a danger to himself and to others. The King couldn't even count on both his hands and feet how many times Sora had went about the castle in a slight daze, his eyes hazy, and his smile lacking as he tried to pull back from the brink of severe depression because of the anxiety attack he'd endured, or the nightmares that had plagued him during the night hours.

" _I just hope that in the end… everything turns out how we're hoping it will… otherwise… the promises we've made… will amount to almost nothing…"_

The thought left him just as a blue portal opened up and five figures tumbled out of it, the group of teenagers making a few pained noises as they slowly got to where most of them were sitting up, or at least not piled atop one another. King Mickey stood, racing forward as Sora shot up from the group, looking around before smiling as the King came to a halt and jumped forward, giving the boy a massive hug, before doing the same to Riku and Kairi, thankful that they were home safe. The King was settled down on the ground again and then turned his attention towards the two blondes.

"Oh, um… hello!" King Mickey stated.

"A… mouse?" Riku elbowed Roxas.

"This is King Mickey Mouse… he's also another Keyblade Master," Riku pointed out as the two blondes gaped and then looked to the Mouse King.

"H-Hello, your majesty… nice to meet you…" the mouse king smiled.

"Gosh, you don't gotta be nervous. This is your home now, and we're allies… so, welcome to Disney Castle," the King stated as Namine and Roxas smiled slowly.

"Thank you, King Mickey… " Sora got to his feet as Riku and Kairi did the same, Kairi helping her sister to her feet before the chestnut-haired Keyblade Master held his hand out to Roxas.

"Come on, it's time to see your new home… we'll show you the way," he stated as Roxas took his hand and he was pulled to his feet before they were taken to the castle, preparing for whatever laid in store for them beyond this point.

 **{…}**

 _I don't know why you lie so clean… I'll break right through the irony…_

 **{….}**

 **Author's Note:** We're done! Chapter 20 is the final chapter. I was going to put up an additional chapter, but I just… lost my gumption for it, so I decided to leave it here. Go to see this story next: _**Kingdom Hearts: Revive**_ and let me know what you think.

Sincerely,

ShadowDragon94.

 **Song: Irony by Breaking Benjamin**


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